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Horse and Hound. 



By 
Roger D. Williams. 

Master of Foxhounds, Iroquois Hunt Club. 
Keeper Foxhound Stud Book. 
Director National Foxhunters' Association 
Official Judge Brunswick Hunt Club. 

AUTHOR OF 

" The Greyhound." 

" Old Times in the Black Hills." 

" Wolf Coursing." 

" The Bloodhound." 

" Horse and Hound." 



<^ 



LEXINGTON, KY., 
ROGER D. WILLIAMS. 

!9°5 



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[TlBRARY of CONSRESsf _A^ 

Two Copies Received 1 

MAh 16 190/ 

-> Gopyngrht Er;trv 

GLASS A XXc, No. 

/3/S3X 

._COg Y | B. im | 



Copyright, 1905, by 
Roger D. Williams. 



PREFACE. 



I am aware that many ideas and views ad- 
vanced by me are at variance with those of other 
writers, especially from an English standpoint, 
but they are honestly given as seen, and practi- 
cally experienced in the field and saddle during 
a quarter of a century's riding to hounds. I have 
also availed myself of the opportunity to discuss 
many of the intricacies of the game through in- 
tercourse, correspondence, and association with 
some of the best known fox-hunters in the coun- 
try, so this book can hardly be called a one man's 
ideas. I make no pretense of being an authority 
or past grand master of the art, but merely give 
my observations, whether they coincide with 
those of others, or not. 

The indulgence of the reader is solicited for 
the crudeness of style, and plain method of writ- 
ing. No attempt having been made to make this 
a technical text-book, scientific or classical treat- 
ise, but to make it as clear to the novice and be- 
ginner as to the expert ; I trust my efforts in this 
line may not cause the average reader to say that 
much more might have been entertainingly and 
instructively told in half as many pages. 

3 



CONTENTS. 







Page. 


I. 


Hunting, ----- 


- 9 


II. 


The Hunter, ----- 


21 


III. 


Schooling of Hunters, 


" 3° 


IV. 


Cross-Country Riding, - 


42 


V. 


Falls, 


- 53 


VI. 


Women in the Field, 


56 


VII. 


The Hound, ... - 


- 7i 


VIII. 


History and Origin American Hound 


, 89 


IX. 


Breeding and Raising Hounds, - 


- IOI 


X. 


Training Hounds, - 


in 


XI. 


The Kennel, - 


- 119 


XII. 


Scent, ------ 


143 


XIII. 


The Fox, ----- 


- 152 


XIV. 


Tricks and Habits of the Fox, 


160 


XV. 


In the Field, - 


- 166 


XVI. 


Hunt Clubs, - 


!93 



HORSE AND HOUND. 




P. F. COLLIER. 

M. F. H. Meadowbrook Hunt Club, 

New York. 



HUNTING. 

"Parnrn fag tljr- atrramtnu Unlft ana mrrrg lark 
iFarily rualjr-a tijr- jollg park; unify tuneful lljroata 
QFljrg rarnl Unto, anil tn urani* rljnrua joturo, 
^»alutr tfyr nrw-faurn aag." 

The sport of hunting wild animals upon their 
native heath, whether with hound or gun, is the 
natural recreation of man. Love of hunting in 
its different phases is one of the strongest char- 
acteristics of the human race, the principles and 
methods of which were instilled into our remote 
ancestors and rightly inherited by us ; and he who 
has once tasted the sweets of fox-hunting is its 
devotee for life, thus proving the old adage, 
"Once a fox-hunter, always a fox-hunter." 

The system once having absorbed the love 
of the chase, it can never be eradicated. Every 
man, however, who goes hunting is not neces- 
sarily a fox-hunting enthusiast, as is proven by 
those who return as soon as the fox is afoot and 
the social preliminaries are over — thinking doubt- 
less fox-hunting is a most fascinating and en- 
viable pursuit in the abstract. 

To real sportsmen the mere killing of the fox 
is no gratification. The excitement and pleasure 
of the chase and the health-giving exercise are 

9 



io Horse and Hound. 

its chief attractions, besides there is no sweeter 
music on earth to the ear of the hunter than the 
harmony of the tuneful chorus of eager hounds 
in full cry, blending with the mellow horn. 

The following tribute to the good qualities of 
a fox-hunter, by "Martingale," I feel sure will 
not be out of place here : 

"It has frequently been remarked that the 
heart of a fox-hunter is invariably in its right 
place, that with him there is more ingenuousness, 
more candor, more generosity, more vigor in 
thought as well as in action, than can be found in 
men who are pent up in crowded cities. This 
peculiarity is easily explained. Although the fox- 
hunter may not be enabled, like the magician of 
old, to tell the footfall of Aladdin amid the tumul- 
tuous roars, the noisy life currents, or life streams 
of a dense community, he can do more on the 
score of perception and penetration than the 
dweller immured in the smoke of furnaces and 
steam engines and the roar of machinery, or those 
who are chained to the desk from morning till 
evening, or nailed to a counter like a bad penny. 
The laws of visible fact may be appreciated by 
men whose god is gain and whose worship is the 
aggrandizement of self, according to the nicest 
calculation of fractions infinitesimal, but the fol- 
lower of hounds possesses that vigor of frame 
and vigor of action which have their invariable 
accompaniment in vigor of mind and vigor of 



Hunting. 1 1 

conception, one yielding to the promptings of the 
other and perfectly harmonizing in themselves." 

Fox-hunting is not only a recreation and 
amusement, but a science and an art in which but 
few ever obtain proficiency. It is one of the few 
sports that is not more or less tainted with pro- 
fessionalism. It eminently encourages compan- 
ionable qualities in man, is conducive to health 
and good fellowship, and is frequently the means 
of cementing strong, lifelong friendships. 

Courage, skill, and perseverance are all the 
outcome of excitement and ardor engendered by 
the chase, and are qualities that should be en- 
couraged and fostered in every man. As to its 
effect on the youth of the country, "Scrutator" 
wisely says : 

"Fox-hunting has been compared to warfare, 
and what better school could be found to prepare 
our youth for the battlefield? It makes them 
good horsemen, teaches them to look danger 
boldly in the face, to disregard falls, hard knocks, 
and bruises, inures them to undergo fatigue with 
cheerfulness, wet and cold without flinching, and 
braces their hearts and nerves for bolder enter- 
prises. In a national point of view, therefore, 
as tending to the welfare of the State, fox-hunt- 
ing is entitled to much greater support than it 
meets with." 

As to its antiquity the fox appears to have 
been one of the very last victims of the chase, 



12 Horse and Hound. 

brought about, doubtless, by the lawless slaughter 
of the boar, wolf, and stag. 

Though the Rev. Wm. Charm, in his "An- 
ecdotes Respecting Cranborn Chase," states that 
Thomas Hownes, of Steepleton, Dorsetshire, had 
a complete and celebrated pack of foxhounds in 
1730. The earliest recognized pack of hounds 
maintained exclusively for fox-hunting that I 
can find any authentic record of, is the Belvoir, 
which can be traced back to 1750; the Pytchley 
Hunt being organized about twenty-five years 
later. 

As to the extent of fox-hunting in Great 
Britain as a national sport, the following figures, 
while certainly startling in their magnitude, are 
vouched for by a most reliable English authority, 
and if they err at all, it is upon the side of mod- 
eration rather than exaggeration. 

There are in Great Britain and Ireland, ac- 
cording to the kennel lists, 360 packs of hounds 
(exclusive of Beagles). The total is made up 
as follows: Staghounds — England, 17; Ireland, 
9 — 24. Foxhounds — England and Scotland, 
166; Ireland, 23 — 189. Harriers — England and 
Scotland, 119; Ireland, 28 — 147. Total, 362. 

Now, assuming that these 360 packs have an 
average of 100 supporters, owning three horses 
each, we have a national hunting stud of 108,000. 
The value of these horses, of course, varies 
hugely; the wealthy man of 18 stone considers 




COL. H. C. TRIGG. 

M. F. H. Trigg Hounds, 

Kentucky. 



Hunting. 1 3 

the hunter which can carry him well to hounds 
cheap at $1,750 or $2,000; while the lighter man, 
of shorter purse, thankfully mounts his 10 or 11 
stone on a nag of one-sixth the price. The average 
value of these 108,000 hunters is $400, which 
can not be considered extravagant, and thus we 
have a total sum invested in horseflesh of $43,- 
200,000. These 36,000 hunting men want some- 
thing in the way of clothing and saddlery, and 
it is not lavish to ascribe to each the possession 
of $150 worth of clothes and boots, and of $125 
of saddlery and stable furniture; but even this 
modest allowance produces the handsome total of 
$9,900,000 invested in necessaries. Taking the 
value of each pack of hounds as $2,500, we get 
a total of $900,000; granting to each hunt 10 
horses, at $250, for the servants, we get another 
$900,000 ; and putting the value of the hunt serv- 
ants' clothing and saddlery at $305 each hunt, 
we add to the foregoing items $99,000. Omit- 
ting the value of stable buildings and kennels, 
which is difficult to guess, we cast up the figures 
above given, and we find the gross total $1,000 
short of $55,000,000. 

As to the size of individual packs, as hunted 
in England at the present time, the average is 
probably 10 couples, though the Belvoir has 66 
couples, and the Duke of Beaufort 75 couples of 
hounds. As to the value of hounds in England, 
an idea may be formed when I state that Mr. 



14 Horse and Hound. 

Osbaldeston sold Lord Middleton 10 couples for 
],ooo guineas, and refused 1,000 guineas for 5 
choice hounds, including the famous Furrier. 

In this country, the largest packs are the 
Orange County with 35, Meadowbrook 46, Rad- 
nor 48, and Eatontown Hunt with 50 couples of 
hounds. The average is about 10 couples, but 
unfortunately there is no way of calculating the 
total number of packs in the United States. I 
am more familiar with the packs of Kentucky, 
and think 100 packs would be a conservative es- 
timate of the number in that State alone, being 
an average of less than one to the county, and I 
know of as many as a dozen in several different 
counties. 

In this country, since the earliest days of 
colonization, the sport of fox-hunting has thrived 
with unflagging, in fact, increasing enthusiasm. 
Our early ancestors, especially in Maryland, Vir- 
ginia, and Kentucky, were devotees of the sport, 
and every country gentleman owned his pack of 
hounds and stable of horses; but the first organ- 
ized hunt club, on the order of an English Hunt, 
was in 1877, when ten couples of hounds were 
imported and drag runs were made on Long 
Island. They afforded probably more amuse- 
ment to outsiders than to the participants, who 
were caricatured and held up to ridicule by the 
press and illustrated papers. However, this sport 
found favor in the eyes and hearts of the riders 



Hunting. 1 5 

of the East, and soon drag hunts were had near 
many of the Eastern cities. Thus a desire for 
cross-country riding was created which has de- 
veloped into the successful hunt clubs of the East. 
It has never been popular in any other section of 
the country, and is absolutely unknown in the 
South. A Southern hunter would as soon think 
of gratifying his sporting ambition by tossing up 
a dead bird bought in the market and shooting 
at it, as in running a drag, and the devotee of 
drag-hunting considers many of the fox-hunting 
customs of the South and West equally as absurd 
and amusing. 

Hunting in certain portions of New England 
is certainly unique. There is none of the form, 
ceremony, glamour, and glitter of the uniformed 
hunters, and sleek, beautifully caparisoned thor- 
oughbreds of the Eastern clubs, nor the reckless, 
dare-devil, noisy riding that characterizes the 
Kentucky and Southern hunter. Clubs are formed 
for the purpose of shooting foxes. They go to 
covert in large "barges," each hunter with his 
trusty shot-gun across his knees. They take posi- 
tions on a runway or stand, until the coverts 
resemble the business end of a battleship; the 
hounds are thrown in a swamp, and as they bring 
out Brer Fox a bombardment opens up resem- 
bling a Port Arthur attack and repulse. They 
are as proud of trophies obtained in this way as 
a schoolboy is of his first pair of red boots. It 



16 Horse and Hound. 

being considered a distinction beyond compare 
to have one's name enrolled upon the official score 
board as having killed two or more foxes during 
a meet. 

South of the Mason and Dixon line it would 
be unhealthy for a man to indulge in this sport. 
They have an unwritten law in the South that 
would almost justify a man killing another man 
who even resembled such a hunter in personal 
appearance. 

The following hunting terms, used in the 
United States, should be thoroughly familiar to 
every one participating in a hunt, and as they are 
necessary to a proper understanding of the fol- 
lowing chapters, are given here at the outset : 

Stern, tail of a hound. 

Speaks, give voice on trail. 

Jumping powder, contents of drinking flask. 

Sinking, weakening before being overtaken. 

Ticklish scent, light uncertain trail. 

Break him, when fox is tossed to hounds to 
kill. 

Check, hounds stopped. 

Uses, where fox runs or stays. 

Pottering, wasting time on old trail. 

Drawing, working or hunting a covert. 

Cold trailing, working an old or cold trail. 

Feeling the line, trying to work out cold trail. 

Cropper, fall over head of horse. 

Sorry looking, ill-shapen, bad conformation. 





E. W. OVERBY. 

M. F. H. Virginia Carolina-Hunt, 

Virginia. 



Hunting, 1 7 

Gone to ground, entered a hole. 

Hitting it off, recovering the line after a loss 
or check. 

Mask, head of fox. 

Brush, tail of fox. 

Pad, foot of fox. 

Mute, running without giving tongue. 

Rioting, running wild and noisily. 

Tongue, voice of hound. 

Throwing tongue, giving voice. 

Lying, giving tongue when not on a trail. 

Lifting, taking hounds from where they are 
working and placing them on the line at another 
point. 

The line, the fox's trail. 

Blank, no game in covert. 

Breast high, scent strong enough to enable 
hounds to carry it with heads on a level with 
breast. 

Fox chunk, excrement of fox. 

Bristles up, carrying long hairs along spine 
erect. 

Eligible, three generations of pedigree. 

Breeder, party owning or leasing the dam at 
time of service. 

Barred, not allowed in the chase. 

Cunning, leaving the trail and cutting across 
to join the leading hounds. 

Burning scent, good, fresh trail. 

Hot trail, close upon fox. 



1 8 Horse and Hound. 

Babbler, a noisy hound that gives tongue too 
freely. 

Cast, swinging to right or left in search of 
lost trail. 

Down wind, running with the wind. 

Challenged, gave tongue first. 

Up wind, running against the wind. 

Double, running to rear on same line. 

Throw it up, to quit. 

Skirter, running wide of pack. 

A loss, losing line or trail. 

Full-cry, when whole pack open up. 

Back tracking, running a trail backwards. 

A jump, raising the fox immediately in front 
of hounds without previous trailing. 

Thrown out, one or two hounds losing trail 
while others are running. 

Take off, finding trail after a loss or check. 

Coming in, returning to hunters. 

Go in, joining the other hounds while run- 
ning. 

Marked, penalized for faults. 

Chopped, killed the fox. 

Cover or covert, wood or place where foxes 
are located. 

Cub, young fox. 

Vixen, female fox. 

Dog fox, male fox. 

While many of the following terms are 



Hunting. 1 9 

strictly English, they are sometimes used in this 
country : 

Ware, cry to hound that is running or doing 
wrong. 

Hi-Hi-Hi, when overtaking fox. 

Crash, when all are giving tongue. 

Crop, hunting whip. 

Drag, scent left by fox on that morning. 

Dwelling, feeling a stale scent. 

Drafted, culled out. 

Earths are drawn, when vixen fox has drawn 
fresh earth — proof she intends to lay her cub 
there. 

Feathering, waving tail. 

Cover hoick, throwing hounds into covert. 

Eloo-in, into covert. 

Yoi over, over fence. 

Edawick-Edawick, to make hounds draw in 
cover. 

Yoi wind him 



( encourage hounds to draw. 
Yoi rouse him, J 

Hoick together, to get them together. 

Tally-O-Away, when a fox is viewed. 

Tally-O-Back, when a fox has returned to 
covert. 

Yo-hote-yo-hote, when "check" to make 
hounds hunt. 

Eloo-at-him, or, Tally-ho at him, when 
hounds near the fox. 



20 Horse and Hound. 

Foil, used when a fox runs the ground over 
which he has been hunted before. 

Heel, when hounds run trail backward. 

Holding scent, when hounds can follow but 
not fast. 

Mainearths, large breeding burrows. 

Mobbing a fox, taking him at a disadvantage. 

Stained, ground passed over by sheep. 

Streaming, hounds running like flock of 
pigeons. 

Thong, lash of hunting crop. 




FOXHALL-KEENE. 
M. F. H. 
New York. 



THE HUNTER. 

" A good Ijorfi* in an animal mttlj mang gmib, Urn 
ittMffrretti, anb mi bail jmittta." 

When a youngster, my idea of a horse was 
very similar to the average Kentuckian's idea of 
the different brands of whisky — "all good, but 
some better than others. " Unfortunately, not- 
withstanding my love for the horse, close, per- 
sonal contact with some certain specimens has 
caused me to change my views very materially. 
This change of sentiment may have been brought 
about by the fact that I have probably owned 
more than my share of the really bad (vicious) 
ones. It got to be quite a saying at the thorough- 
bred training tracks in Kentucky, if a horse was 
a bolter, confirmed runaway, or too rattle-brained 
to stand training, "Sell him to Colonel Williams 
for a cross-country horse." I have probably 
bought dozens of such. Among the lot some 
turned out very well indeed, and only one, "Hick- 
ory Leaf," I failed to subdue enough to at least 
enter to hounds. The day before he was to have 
had his first run in company he ran away with a 
friend of mine and sent him to the hospital for 



22 Horse and Hound. 

weeks, so he was consigned to the harness brig- 
ade, magnificent animal that he was. 

I have had more experience with thorough- 
bred horses as hunters than any other breed, and 
while for several years I considered them par ex- 
cellence the best horse for hunting, I have 
changed my mind, and now consider the half or 
three-quarter bred thoroughbred the best strain. 
The nervous system of a thoroughbred is too sen- 
sitive. They have too much imagination, and it 
responds entirely too freely when they draw upon 
it. We all know how unreliable they are when it 
comes to temperament and disposition. They may 
be the aristocrats of the equine race, but not one 
in a score has the disposition to make a hunter. 

I have known them to voluntarily obey every 
demand of their rider for weeks as though dis- 
cipline were their second nature, then upon the 
first opportunity presenting itself, upset all his 
calculations and theories in regard to horseflesh 
by perpetrating some devilish trick entirely un- 
worthy the esteem in which he was held. This 
would cause me to exclaim, with the old darke}' 
whom the horse had thrown into the creek, 
"That 's what makes me 'spize a hoss !" 

It is not an easy matter to select a hunter for 
another, nor is it easy to even advise one intelli- 
gently how to select a suitable mount. A horse 
one man would think perfection another would 
not have. 




Typical Lady's Hunter. 



Heavy Weight Hunter. 



The Hunter. 23 

Different riders demand horses especially 
adapted by nature, disposition, size, and confor- 
mation to their own peculiarities, therefore, in 
selecting a hunter I would, above all things, give 
preference to suitability. Then I would consider 
disposition, next breeding, and lastly looks. Un- 
fortunately, nine-tenths of the hunters seen in the 
field in this country exactly reverse this order of 
selection, laying more stress upon looks and 
breeding than all the other qualifications com- 
bined, forgetting for the time being that the 
pleasure and enjoyment of the hunt are largely 
dependent upon the horse you ride, and looks and 
pedigree may stretch you in the ditch or hang 
you upon the fence, while stamina, activity, and 
a level head will keep you on the firing line. 

Therefore, my advice is, pay less attention to 
the looks and breeding of your horse than you 
do to his qualities as a hunter, and never, under 
any circumstances, buy a hunter without giving 
him a thorough trial in the field; jumping him 
over an obstacle in a paddock as a trial is about 
on a par with trying the accuracy and penetra- 
tion of a rifle with a blank cartridge. 

While no animal is more susceptible to appro- 
bation and flattery than a horse, I am one of the 
few that believe horses as a rule are possessed 
of a low order of intelligence, have absolutely no 
courage, and naturally are the greatest fools. 
Always nervous and apprehensive, they never call 



24 Horse and Hoimd. 

reason to their assistance. The noble traits of 
character possessed by horses sounds well and 

looks well upon paper, but . However, 

there is a great diversity of opinion as to the in- 
telligence and courage of the horse. They cer- 
tainly have mentality enough to appreciate kind- 
ness and any sympathy shown them by mankind. 

A few words as to the treatment of a horse 
in the field may not be amiss ; though a man may 
be accustomed to driving horses all his life, and 
may occasionally amble through the park on a 
well-mannered one, he will find it an altogether 
different proposition upon a hunter in the field. 

Elsewhere, I have treated upon seat and 
hands (the vitality of hunting). Next to these, 
nerve is the most essential requisite to riding to 
hounds. Loss of nerve causes nine-tenths of the 
accidents in the field, and though the horse may 
not possess a very high order of intelligence, he 
quickly finds you out and never fails to take ad- 
vantage of his knowledge; thus the horse fre- 
quently knows the rider better than the rider 
knows the horse. If the rider is courageous he 
immediately recognizes it and the knowledge but 
adds to his own courage. 

Horses are interesting to handle and study, 
but difficult to thoroughly understand. How few 
men ever understand or really appreciate a horse ! 
They do not go about it in the right way. The 
great secret in handling a horse successfully is 




ADMIRAL JAMES JOUETT. 
First President National Fox-hunt Association. 



The Hunter. 25 

to win his confidence, this once gained, retain it 
at any sacrifice. Viciousness and stubbornness 
can never be thrashed out of a horse; if you can 
not gain his confidence by kindness and sym- 
pathy, convince him by the Rarey or Gleason 
methods that you are his master and will be 
obeyed, and you will have no further trouble with 
him. Nothing develops the equine intellect more 
than close contact with men, therefore, make a 
companion and friend of your horse. 

Never treat your horse in an indifferent, me- 
chanical manner as though he were an "auto," 
if you expect him to be responsive and enter into 
your sport with life and zest. 

In the selection of a hunter, if a kicker and 
plunger or a stumbler, by all means choose the 
former. A horse may kick or throw you off, and 
as the old darkey said about being blown up on 
a train, "Dar you is;" but if he stumbles and falls 
with you, it is as he said about being blown up 
on a steamer, "Whar is you?" 

While risk and danger incurred are factors 
that add to the attractiveness of the sport, take 
my advice and do not seek them through the 
means of a stumbling horse. 

A horse that kicks at hounds (favorite pas- 
time of the thoroughbred) is an abomination in 
the eyes of all hunters, and if he can not be cured, 
which is quite difficult to do, he should be put to 
drawing an omnibus — the sooner the better. 



26 Horse and Hound. 

Stabling him with hounds will not effect a cure, 
for while behaving himself with the hounds he 
knows, he will let drive at the first "outsider" 
that comes within range. I know of no harder 
task than explaining to an owner how your horse 
happened to kick and cripple or kill his favorite 
hound. 

A hunter is in his prime between the ages 
of six and nine, and must be at least six years 
old before one can expect hard service of him, 
day in and day out, in the field. Have known 
of hunters twenty years old that could hold their 
own with a four-year-old in a long bruising run. 
The average life of usefulness in the field is six 
years, while some do not last the season out, bow- 
ing a tendon in a few runs. 

As to size, the extremely large hunters have 
never been popular with me. While the saying 
that a "good big horse is always better than a 
good little horse," carries weight with it, I am 
partial to a 15-2 or 15.3 horse, if he has bone, 
substance, and nerve force with it. Build and con- 
stitution certainly have more to do with weight- 
carrying ability than either avoirdupois or height ; 
tall men look better on tall horses, and small men, 
vice versa. 

The average weight of a horse in hunting 
condition, capable of carrying a heavy weight, 
should be about 1,150 pounds, a middle weight, 
1,050, and a light weight, 1,000 pounds. Sev- 




Light Weight Hunter. 



Medium Weight Hunter. 



The Hunter. 27 

eral things that I would impress upon my reader 
are, never condemn a hunter on his looks, re- 
member that a horse suitable to one kind of coun- 
try and hunting may not be adapted to another; 
that a horse's endurance is always limited by his 
weakest part ; and that the power of a horse only 
increases with size, provided the relative propor- 
tion and general compactness are maintained. 

I lay but little stress upon looks in the field. 
However, it is a well-known fact that horses will 
both jump and run ir all shapes, as is evidenced 
by the performance^ of Decapod and Hats-Off, 
two ill-looking hunters I sold in the East at nom- 
inal sums, which afterwards became famous 
hunters. The case of Badge is also remarkable. 
He was sold at auction and was such a "sorry," 
weedy looking specimen that he was bought for 
a song. His purchaser gave as his reason for 
buying him, that owning a race horse would en- 
title him to a free entrance badge to the races. 
He was accordingly named "Badge," and proved 
to be one of the greatest horses of- his class, win- 
ning a fortune which made his owner independent 
for life. 

Few American-bred hunters have ever been 
taken to England, but those which have, com- 
pared most favorably with the English-bred 
hunters, as have also the comparatively few 
American riders who have hunted in England, 
compared with the home talent. 



28 Horse and Hound. 

In the selection or judging of a hunter the 
following points should be considered. 

If a horse has a small, lean, finely chiseled 
forehead, and rather wide nostrils, and small, 
thin, evenly shaped ears, it is an indication of 
high breeding, though a horse may show high 
breeding without possessing qualities one would 
naturally expect to be present, especially in a high- 
class hunter. 

The expression of the eye generally indicates 
the character of the horse. Narrow eyes, set far 
back in the sockets, and taose exposing much 
white of eye frequently indicate vicious tempera- 
ment. A round, full, mild eye in a prominent 
socket indicates a tractable, bold, fearless dispo- 
sition, qualities much to be desired in a hunter. 

Neck should be long though strong, placed 
and carried more like the thoroughbred than the 
harness or saddle horse. This allows one to lean 
forward on the rise in jumping, s y necessary to 
balance of both horse and rider, without risk of 
being struck in the face. 

It is absolutely necessary that a hunter have 
long and oblique shoulders, they reduce the con- 
cussion to both rider and horse, as do long, slant- 
ing pasterns, and add to the years of usefulness of 
a hunter afield. 

Feet should be straight, neither in nor out, 
and elbows placed to insure perfect freedom of 
movement. 





FRANK SHERMAN PEER. 
New York. 



The Httnter. 29 

Withers should be high, giving a surer and 
firmer seat, and retaining saddle in place, yet 
not sharp or prominent enough to become saddle- 
bruised. 

Back should be broad across the loins, well 
ribbed up, — back is strongest when straight and 
short, weakest when long and hollow — should 
not be too long, yet a certain amount of length 
with extra strong loin is necessary to enable a 
horse to get his hind legs sufficiently well under 
him. 

Hind quarters as a whole should be deep, 
long, full, and round, the hind legs furnishing 
the chief power of propulsion. From rear, thighs 
should be long and well rounded. From hocks 
to fetlock parallel, and not inclined to "cow- 
hock." 

While sickle hocks are much decried, yet it 
is astonishing how many jumpers possess them. 



SCHOOLING OF HUNTERS. 

All quadrupeds in a wild state acquire a 
knowledge of jumping as a matter of necessity; 
the horse in its domestic state requires careful 
and intelligent training to enable him to properly 
clear obstacles with ease to himself and rider. A 
horse which can not by proper handling be 
taught to jump is deficient in either brains or 
nervous energy, as it is natural for a horse to 
answer to the demands of a stronger mind, es- 
pecially when exerted through kindly enforced 
discipline. 

It has generally been the practice, especially 
in Kentucky, to commence the schooling of a 
hunter in his two-year-old form, but my friend, 
Frank S. Peer, a most successful schooler of 
hunters, goes us one better and advises the com- 
mencement of the education of a hunter before he 
is foaled, and continued throughout his suckling 
age. 

Horses seldom, if ever, bring reason to their 
aid. Natural instinct, however, enables him to 
learn by association with reasoning beings 
(through absorption or close contact) things 
which otherwise could not be instilled into him. 

30 



Schooling of Hunters. 3 1 

With undoubted confidence in his rider, a 
horse can be induced to undertake most anything 
which otherwise any amount of force or abuse 
would not tempt him, under ordinary circum- 
stances, to essay. 

If one wishes to commence at the rudimen- 
tary principles of jumping, the horse should be 
turned loose in a small paddock with bars open- 
ing into another paddock. Put up the bottom 
bar (not to exceed 12 inches) and drive him in 
a walk over the bar. After having driven him 
(loose) back and forth several times, increase 
his pace until he has jumped it several times at 
a gallop, allowing him to catch his wind be- 
tween times, and do not excite him. Then halter 
and lead him over a few times, following this by 
leading him over by bridle. 

On the next day the bar should be raised to 
24 inches and the same lesson repeated. At the 
third lesson he should be mounted and the bar 
dropped to 12 inches again. Alternate his pace 
between walk, trot, and canter. 

At the fourth lesson raise the bar to 24 inches 
and be very careful that he jumps only at the 
paces you desire, still alternating the walk, trot, 
and canter. Make these preliminary lessons short 
and do not allow him to become fretted. 

As soon as he performs well the slight tasks 
as above assigned, he can be taken from the pad- 
dock lessons. The bars or obstacles should then 



32 Horse and Hound. 

be placed against a wall or solid fence, one end 
touching same and the other end open, so that 
if disposed he can pass around rather than over 
the obstacle. I do not believe in teaching or 
schooling a horse intended for use in the field 
to jump in a chute or narrow lane. If merely 
intended for a high jumper at horse shows this 
chute plan is as good, if not better, than others, 
but it will not serve in training for the field. 

The height of the jumps should be advanced 
slowly and never during a lesson. 

It may seem folly to you to keep a horse 
jumping at two feet when you know full well 
that he can as easily clear three feet, and the 
temptation will be very great to increase the 
jump, especially if witnesses are present, but my 
word for it, there are more jumpers ruined by 
advancing too rapidly at this stage of the game 
than at any other. 

When he jumps quietly, methodically, and 
just at the pace you desire, you can increase the 
height a little ; however, at the first sign of "sour- 
ing'' or "going stale," set him back in his les- 
sons, decreasing the jump at least a foot, and 
work up to it gradually again. Do not lose pa- 
tience with him or fight and punish him. He 
will naturally associate the punishment with the 
jump, and either become afraid or nervous when 
required to jump. A sharp rap with crop when 
he strikes timber, followed by a caress and en- 



Schooling of Hunters. 33 

couragement when he next makes a clean jump, 
will be more effective than all the floggings you 
could give him. 

Forbearance and patience, combined with in- 
genuity, will frequently do more toward accom- 
plishing your end than all the punishment you 
can bestow upon him. Remember, a highly bred 
horse is constitutionally nervous, his greatest 
weakness is fear, which can be largely overcome 
or minimized by obtaining, and never abusing, 
his confidence. 

In earlier training have good stiff bars which 
will not yield upon contact, but which will hurt 
or throw a careless or indifferent jumper. Later 
on, in high jumps, lighter rails may be substi- 
tuted where there is actual danger from a fall, 
but even this is doubtful policy. 

Do not worry or fret him by too frequent 
repetitions at any one time, especially to the ex- 
tent of fatigue or soreness, for both quickly re 
suit when you have reached the point of high 
jumping. Should he become "bucked" stop all 
training until no soreness is apparent. Give him 
a little breathing spell between jumps and let 
him walk quietly up to and past the obstacle 
several times. 

The main thing one has to guard against is 

to prevent him from increasing his speed and 

rushing his jumps. He must be taught to shorten 

his stride the same as a man does in collecting 

3 



34 Horse and Hound. 

himself to jump. This allows him a chance to get 
his hocks and hind legs, the powers of propulsion 
in a horse, well under him. 

The general impression is, a horse jumps bet- 
ter when allowed to go fast at his fences — the 
impetus thus gained will enable him to take a 
wider leap and he is really easier to sit and seems 
to take it with less effort, but the only safe and 
sure jumpers are those who check up and gather 
their legs under them by a few short, well-cal- 
culated steps (the same as a man does) before 
taking off. 

A horse in height jumping raises his fore- 
quarters, then suddenly straightens his hind limbs, 
using the ground for a fulcrum, thus propelling 
his body forward and upward. He should land 
upon his fore feet first, but not too perpendicu- 
larly, they receiving a part of the shock, the hind 
legs follow immediately and receive most of the 
shock and are in position to propel him on to his 
stride. 

Before going to the field he should be jumped 
over all kinds of obstacles, piles of dirt, stacks 
of lumber, ladders, chairs, all kinds and forms 
of fences, ditches, dikes, and streams, for one 
can never tell what one may encounter in a run 
across country. A picket fence is really less for- 
midable than it looks, though there are many 
horses which will take a five-foot rail fence that 
will refuse a four-foot picket. If approaching a 




FRANK S. GIBSON, 
West Virginia. 



Schooling of Hunters. 35 

picket fence from the stringer side, there is com- 
paratively little danger, as a light blow of either 
leg or hoof will knock off the picket; from the 
opposite direction the picket, protruding above 
the stringer about twelve inches, will break off 
close to the stringer. 

While it is not generally supposed to be so, 
it is a fact that fencing and timber are stiffer 
in America than in England. In England, the 
uncertainty of what lies beyond fences, ditches, 
and hedged water jumps, with yielding banks, 
makes them very hard to negotiate. It therefore 
requires both a better hunter and rider in Eng- 
land than in America to live in front. 

In America, the most dangerous thing to be 
encountered in the field is the wire-topped fence, 
whether of wood or of stone, and it is to be 
avoided, whenever possible. 

There is only one safe way to jump a wire 
fence and that is by placing one's coat along the 
top wire. This plan is much practiced by those 
who do not carry a pair of wire cutters in their 
pockets, the latter class, however, largely pre- 
dominate. 

Timidity, soreness, and temper are the main 
reasons why a hunter will refuse to jump. The 
two former combined are more easily overcome 
than the latter alone, but never forget that nine 
times out of ten the fault is really that of his 
rider or trainer, and that it is unfair and 



2,6 Horse and Hound. 

cowardly to punish a horse for some one else's 
fault. 

Kind, rational treatment, combined with pa- 
tience, will do more than harsh, unjust punish- 
ment, especially as the horse, not being a mind 
reader, seldom knows just what he is punished 
for, and his tendency is to associate the punish- 
ment with the very act you wish performed, 
rather than the mistake. 

Horses properly schooled and trained un- 
doubtedly enjoy hunting, but the same horses, if 
confined to hurdling and steeple-chasing, soon 
"sour." I attribute this more to the punishment 
they receive than to anything else, for horses un- 
doubtedly enjoy the excitement of the hounds 
and the chase. 

In high jumping, when approaching the ob- 
stacle the rider should resolutely, with firm seat 
and hand, give the horse the impression that a 
refusal is impossible. You can tell from his 
shortened step and extended neck just when he 
is going to take off, then lean slightly forward, 
allowing the hands to follow his head, and keep 
a light, steady feel of his mouth. Remember 
there is no such thing as "lifting" a horse. That 
is as impossible as lifting one's self by one's boot 
straps, and any interference with a horse's head 
in the act of jumping is a decided detriment 
rather than an assistance to him. 

If he makes a "bobble" in landing, he can be 



Schooling of Hunters. 37 

very materially assisted by proper support on the 
bit, but just how much support can be safely 
given even then depends very largely upon the 
individual horse, his particular mouth, and its 
condition at the time. 

If it becomes necessary, one should not hesi- 
tate to clutch the mane, pommel, or cantle, but 
never pull or yank the reins. In the former case 
you alone may fall, but in the latter, both you 
and the horse are liable to come down with a 
crash. 

Remain firm and rigid below the waist line, 
above the waist flexible. Give way to the center 
of gravity by balancing ; you will thus find your- 
self leaning forward during the rise, straight at 
the top, and backward during the descent. 

As soon as he lands, resume proper erect posi- 
tion in seat without assistance from reins, again 
feel of his mouth and do not allow him to increase 
his speed until he has gathered himself up prop- 
erly and is in his natural stride. 

Should you fail to perform your part as well 
as the horse does his, and you take a tumble, do 
not release the reins if you can possibly avoid it. 
It is decidedly better to take chances upon being 
trampled rather than dragged by the stirrup, for 
there is always a chance of this, notwithstanding 
the use of both safety bars and safety stirrups. 

As there are never two horses alike in their 
character, action, disposition, and method of fenc- 



38 Horse and Hound. 

ing, in the field one can at least afford to allow 
his horse to have his own way, to a certain ex- 
tent, and to use his own "think tank" in jump- 
ing. Unless you are an expert he will know as 
much about the jump, and certainly more about 
his own individual powers as a timber topper, 
than you. 

Always bear in mind that a horse gets his 
courage, fear, and uncertainty as to jumping 
from his rider, and if your courage oozes out of 
the tips of your fingers at a critical place, you can 
as surely expect his courage to ooze from the tip 
of his tail. 

In the South and West, where one hunts 
through heavy woodlands, and through country 
cut up by coulees, ruts, and gullies, unless a horse 
has had special training, it would be almost im- 
possible to force him up and down the precipitous 
banks encountered, such sliding and scrambling 
requiring the surefootedness of a goat. 

Horse shows in the past decade have done 
much to foster and improve the hunter in this 
country. A resume of rules and classes at the 
last show of the National Horse Show Associa- 
tion will be found both useful and interesting to 
the admirer, breeder, and user of the hunter. 

Hunter Classes. 

Horses which have been shown at any place 
of exhibition for a fixed compensation or guar- 



Schooling of Hunters. 39 

antee shall not be eligible for entry as Qualified 
Hunters. They may, however, be entered where 
performances over fences only count. 

All exhibitors entering their horses in the 
Qualified Hunter Classes must furnish a certifi- 
cate from the Master of the Hounds with whom 
their horses have been hunted. Forms of certifi- 
cate will be furnished by this Association. 

Only men or boys over fourteen years of age 
will be allowed to ride in the Hunter or Jumping 
Classes. 

All horses, to win prizes in the Hunter Classes, 
must be pronounced practically sound by the Vet- 
erinarians of the Association, and must carry a 
minimum weight of 140 pounds. 

Qualified Hunters 

Must have been kept for hunting purposes and 
have been regularly hunted with a recognized 
pack of hounds for one year, and within one 
year of date of entry. 

Horses entered as hunters can not be entered 
in classes for "Horses suitable to become 
hunters." 

Qualified hunters (heavy weight) up to car- 
rying over 190 pounds to hounds. 

Qualified hunters (middle weight) up to car- 
rying between 165 and 190 pounds to hounds. 

Qualified hunters (light weight) up to car- 
rying under 165 pounds to hounds. 



40 Horse and Hound. 

Conformation and quality to count 50 per 
cent; performance over fences, 50 per cent. 

Ladies' qualified hunters must be up to car- 
rying 165 pounds to hounds. 

Conformation and quality to count 25 per 
cent; performance over fences, and manners, 75^ 
per cent. 

For the best three qualified hunters from one 
Hunt, to be shown by the master, whips, or mem- 
bers of the Hunt in the Hunt uniform. Uniforms 
and appointments to count 25 per cent. 

Corinthian Class. 

Open to qualified hunters only 

Horses must be ridden by members of some 
recognized Hunt Club. Conformation and qual- 
ity to count 25 per cent; performance over fences, 
75 per cent. 

Jumping Classes. 

Jumping class, open to all 



Performances over fences only to count. 

For the best performance of hunters or jump- 
ers over six fences, two at five feet, two at five 
feet six inches, and two at six feet, to carry a 
minimum weight of 140 pounds. 

High jump, open to all. 

For the first trial the bars will be placed at a 
height of five feet; they will then be raised to 
five feet six inches, to six feet, to six feet three 



Schooling of Hunters. 41 

inches, and six feet six inches. Only three trials 
will be allowed each horse at the different heights. 
In the event of two or more horses clearing six 
feet six inches, the judges, in making their 
awards, will consider the form in which the 
horses have taken their jumps, and may, in their 
discretion, increase the height of the jump. 

In addition, classes are provided for thor- 
oughbred qualified hunters, and horses suitable 
to become hunters. 

The bright particular stars in the jumping 
classes during the past years have been Rose- 
berry, Ontario, Filemaker, Richmond, Rudolph, 
Tychobrache, Chappie, and Heatherbloom. 
Heatherbloom's record of eight feet two and one- 
half inches in the world's record, and will un- 
doubtedly long remain so. Chappie's record of 
clearing twenty-five feet over a five foot eight 
inch fence places him in a class by himself. 



CROSS-COUNTRY RIDING. 

Increased interest in cross-country riding has 
grown with more rapidity in the past few years 
in the North and East than at any time in its 
history. This is evidenced by the increased num- 
ber and superior quality of the entries in the 
jumping classes in the horse shows and the or- 
ganization of new hunting clubs throughout the 
country. 

There are many works on the horse and rid- 
ing that enter into the smaller details of purely 
technical instruction, but while admitting that 
theoretical knowledge is of value in every sport, 
yet, in cross-country riding and hunting, prac- 
tice is more necessary than theory, so I shall con- 
fine myself to a few short practical words of ad- 
vice and instruction to riders in the field, trust- 
ing that they may be of assistance to them in 
working out their own salvation. 

Hunting involves riding over a great variety 
of country, and requires all the essential ele- 
ments of a good seat. The military seat, while 
advocated by many, is not adapted to cross-coun- 
try riding, though some extraordinary feats have 
42 



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Cross- Country Riding. 43 

been performed by soldiers of both the French 
and Italian armies, especially in the line of hill 
climbing and precipitous jumps. 

It takes considerable nerve (I have never 
been accused of a lack of it) to advance a theory 
in regard to riding directly in opposition to the 
well-known theories so long in practice in Eng- 
land, and I shall doubtless be hauled over the 
coals for doing it, but I want to go on record 
right here as opposing the grip seat in hunting 
and cross-country riding. I have tried both the 
grip, as used in England, and the balance seat, 
as used in America, and I am prepared to say 
that there is no earthly comparison either for 
the horse or for the rider when comfort and 
safety are considered. 

It would be a difficult task to convert our 
English cousins to this style, as they have in- 
herited it for ages from sire to son, but it was 
just as hard to convince them that the seat of our 
jockeys, so entirely different from their own, 
was the correct one. Though Sloan, Reiff, and 
other pioneer jockeys were severely criticised, 
they continued to win until now the English 
jockey seat is almost a duplicate of our own. 

While the English are undoubtedly slow and 
thoroughly hard to convince, they are neverthe- 
less genuine sportsmen, open to conviction, and 
I expect to live to see the day when they will ride 
in the hunting field by balance, although it is a 



44 Horse and Hound. 

well-known fact that some sportsmen never out- 
grow favorite fancies, whether right or wrong. 

It is difficult to get an Englishman to try rid- 
ing by balance even on the flat, and as for timber 
topping with balance seat, such a suggestion 
would cause him to doubt your sanity, and this 
in view of the fact that none of the many Eng- 
lishmen who essayed riding Buffalo BilFs buck- 
ing bronchos succeeded, while the balance seat 
cowboys rode them with ease, rolling and light- 
ing cigarettes and fanning themselves through- 
out the pitching and bucking. 

I recall my own first experience in riding a 
bucking broncho. I had gone West upon a hunt- 
ing trip to Colorado when a youth of seventeen, 
and in selecting a horse from the band for my 
own use, I decided upon a sleek, round-looking 
"Cayuse" in preference to the many thin, wiry, 
run-down-looking ones in the band, not knowing 
at the time that his condition was positive evi- 
dence that he was a "bucker." Being asked if 
I had ever ridden a "bucker," I remarked that I 
had been raised on horseback in Kentucky and 
could ride anything that wore hair. In a few 
moments I regretted my remark, when 1 found 
myself piled up in a corner of the adobe wall sur- 
rounding the corral and the onlookers giving me 
the laugh. I had hardly seated myself when he 
commenced as fine an exhibition of bucking as 
ever was seen. Not having taken the precau- 




Correct Seat. 
14 Incorrect Seat. 



Cross- Country Riding. 45 

tion to adjust the stirrup leathers I was unable to 
assume a balance seat, and the motion being an 
entirely new and novel one to me, I attempted 
to hold on by gripping the legs. This soon 
brought me to grief and to grass. Knowing that 
it would never do to give it up, I had the leathers 
adusted — quite a lengthy undertaking on a cow- 
boy's saddle — and by this time had recovered 
some of the wind that had just been knocked out 
of me. One of the ranchmen remarked, "Turn 
yourself loose in the saddle, Kentuck, and you 
will have him." This I rightly interpreted as 
meaning "Ride him by balance." I did so, and 
thus solved the mystery of riding a "bucker," 
and afterwards made quite a reputation as a 
"broncho buster." 

It is not generally known that President 
Roosevelt is a fox-hunter, but such is the fact. 
In this, as well as everything else he undertakes, 
he is an enthusiast and an expert. He thor- 
oughly understands and practices the balance 
seat which has enabled him and his horses to 
make record-breaking rides in the West, as well 
as to negotiate fences that men of his weight de- 
cline. The illustration shows him on his favor- 
ite hunter "Bleistein." 

Those who learn to ride late in life lean for- 
ward with uncertain seat, which necessarily 
means a heavy hand on the bit ; they seldom ac- 
quire a good seat, and I can tell at a glance a 



46 Horse and Hound. 

rider (more especially a woman) who acquired 
practical knowledge of riding when young. 

The easiest and surest way to learn to jump 
by balance is bareback, without reins or anything 
in the hands; in a few lessons one will acquire a 
correct, firm, close seat that it would take months 
to obtain in the ordinary way. 

By balance only can the center of gravity be 
maintained throughout a jump from the take off* 
to the landing. In riding by grip the center of 
gravity can not be shifted and the weight of 
rider practically remains at the same point or 
level. 

The balance seat, aside from being the secur- 
est and easiest on horse and man, is the most 
natural, as is proved by bareback boy riders and 
Indians and cowboys, who are accounted among 
the best riders in the world. 

That riding by grip is much harder upon man 
than balance riding is evidenced by complaints of 
the former as to cramps and stiffness after eight 
or ten hours in the saddle. 

From all accounts of Tom Smith's riding and 
seat, he undoubtedly rode by balance and not by 
grip, and while he was much criticised by his 
English friends for his "loose seat and inelegant 
riding," his worst enemy could not but say a bet- 
ter rider in results never went across country, as 
his record of 90 foxes in 91 days' hunting has 
never been equaled. 



Cross- Country Riding. 47 

Light hands are the most necessary and hard- 
est qualification for a rider to acquire. A light 
hand is one that feels a horse's mouth as deli- 
cately as a physician feels one's pulse, putting no 
more pressure upon it than is absolutely neces- 
sary. 

The necessity for, and importance of, this 
can not well be overestimated, as a horse's dis- 
position, action, and manners in the field are en- 
tirely governed and controlled by it. A good 
rider with good hands can rectify and cure many 
bad faults in a horse. 

The seat of the rider has more to do with 
the lightness and heaviness of a rider's hands 
than any other thing, the stability of seat exert- 
ing great influence upon the mouth. In other 
words, a rider with bad seat can never hope to 
acquire good hands. 

Never take it for granted that the groom has 
attended to all the details of arranging bits and 
curb, girths and stirrup bars — the fact that it is 
his duty to do so is very good reason why he has 
not done so — therefore never mount until you 
have verified all these details and know they have 
received proper attention; that is, if you respect 
your life and limb, as the possibility of an acci- 
dent is a feature of hunting we can not ignore, 
for there are times when neither nerve nor skill 
avail against it. 

In mounting, approach the horse's head on 



48 Horse and Hound. 

the left side, speak to him, and pat him on the 
neck or crest. Take position opposite the near 
fore foot, facing quartering to the rear. Speak 
to the horse again, grasp the reins in the left hand 
with snaffle reins shortened, left hand on horse's 
neck near the withers. If a tall horse twist a lock 
of mane between thumb and forefinger. Place 
toe of foot in stirrup with right hand, only as far 
as ball of foot, seize cantle of saddle on right 
side with right hand, spring from right foot as- 
sisted by right hand only, throw right leg clear 
of cantle and ease down into seat by friction of 
right leg on saddle flap. Retain grip on mane 
until well into seat, being very careful not to ex- 
ert any pressure on the reins during process of 
mounting. If horse starts before well in the seat 
do not jerk, but speak to him and take light ten- 
sion on bit. If the horse and his habits are well 
known to you, and you can safely rely on his 
standing perfectly still and not moving or kick- 
ing while mounting, you can take position oppo- 
site stirrup leathers and face quartering to head, 
which is an easier way of mounting. The stirrup 
leathers should not be too long, as a military seat 
is not desirable, but just long enough to enable 
the rider to clear the pommel, when erect, and to 
obtain balance forward and backward when ris- 
ing and descending to a jump. This will place 
the leg from knee down perpendicular to the 
ground and parallel with the horse's front leg ; the 




m • ^ - 



Correct Seat. 



Incorrect Seat. 



Cross- Country Riding. 49 

elasticity of knee and ankle in this position will 
assist in taking off the jar of the horse's com- 
pact with the ground. 

In handling four reins in one hand, the left 
snaffle should be outside little finger, right snaffle 
between first and middle fingers, left curb be- 
tween little and third finger, and right curb be- 
tween middle and third fingers, the ends of all 
four drawn upward and between thumb and first 
finger, falling over the thumb — being pressed 
against first finger by thumb. 

The snaffle and curb reins may be taken up 
or relaxed quickly by the right hand without re- 
leasing hold or position of same with left hand, 
which would cause confusion. 

In jumping, it is well to reverse the relative 
position of the snaffle and curb reins, as the curb 
will seldom be brought into use and should be 
used sparingly. 

Remember the reins are the telephone wires 
that establish communication between horse and 
rider, and are not intended for punishment or 
torture. Cruel bits never cured a confirmed 
bolter or puller, and should be condemned. 

The elbows should be carried against side of 
body, hands low down close to body, knuckles 
out, wrists slightly bent. In jumping never 
throw up the arms. This is a fault I uncon- 
sciously possessed and never knew it until I no- 
ticed it in photos taken while fencing. Had any 

4 



5<D Horse and Hound. 

one accused me of it I should have indignantly 
denied it. It had evidently become a fixed habit, 
as I found it quite difficult to break myself of it. 

As to saddles, — this largely depends upon the 
conformation of the man. Saddles that are thin 
and flat and fit close to the horse are the best for 
the average man and should cover as much of 
the horse as possible without being too large for 
the rider. I have probably tried every kind of 
saddle in use, and personally prefer the Whit- 
man field officer's military saddle with slightly 
elevated pommel and extension cantle. 

All hunting saddles should have the safety 
stirrup leather bars; these should be kept well 
oiled and frequently opened. I have lost both 
stirrup and leather upon several occasions in run- 
ning through thick, tangled woods, but have been 
more than repaid for their loss by being released 
at critical times. 

In addition to the safety bars, I also use a 
safety stirrup, this being an extra precaution sel- 
dom taken, but I believe in the old adage of an 
"ounce of prevention being worth a pound of 
cure." 

Martingales should never be used unless a 
horse absolutely demands them, and but few do. 
The stiff martingale should never be used. 

Too much care and attention can not be de- 
voted to properly bitting a hunter. Powerful, 



Cross- Country Riding. 51 

cruel bits of variable intensity cause nervous 
horses to degenerate into plungers, bolters, and 
pullers. While the Pelham, Chifney, and Whit- 
man bits are popular, the plain port curb and 
Bridoon (snaffle) is the most serviceable and 
humane, and is best for both horse and rider. 

The constant or too frequent use of spurs will 
deaden the sensibility of the horse; they should 
be almost entirely for ornament, and seldom, if 
ever, used. However, they are like the "pistol 
in Texas.'' 

If the horse is backing into another horse or 
into an obstacle and danger threatens which can 
be avoided by quick action, then they are ex- 
cusable, but never as a means of punishment or 
to rally a flagging horse, as long as the crop is 
at hand. 

If rowels are used, they should have the points 
filed off. 

Never ride with a slack rein — it makes a 
horse careless, lazy, and indifferent to his gaits 
and manners, and may be the means of "entering 
him" to prayer. A tight rein is equally as bad, 
as the steady constant pull makes pullers of 
horses that would otherwise have very "genteel 
mouths." 

In ascending hills and steep banks, take a 
winding, or zigzag, course; in descending go 
straight down — if the horse should slip he can 



52 Horse and Hound. 

slide down on his haunches, but when going down 
sideways there is no chance of him recovering his 
balance. 

If you realize your horse is getting beyond 
your control, instantly begin sawing the reins 
through his mouth, especially the snaffle, followed 
with a quick succession of jerks and pulls. It is 
seldom that a runaway horse can be stopped by a 
dead pull; if you have strength to accomplish 
this, your strength will break the bit or bridle, 
before your object is accomplished. 





Correct Seat. 

Incorrect Seat. 



FALLS. 

Th£r£ is about as much art in falling as in 
riding. Unfortunately, there is but one way of 
becoming an "adept," and that is by practice. 
But little advice can be given, some will say stick 
on to the last, others, clear yourself for action the 
moment you feel a fumble. If your stirrup safety 
bars are in good working condition and your 
horse makes a bungle of his jump or comes down 
upon his knees in landing, kick your feet loose 
from the stirrups, grasp him by the mane, give 
him his head, and scramble astride along with 
him, and when he rises you will be surprised to 
find how often you come up with him, probably 
not in the saddle, but on him somewhere from 
withers to croup. But should he unseat you, 
throwing you over his head, keep going, rolling 
or scrambling to keep ahead of him, for they fre- 
quently make the second stumble in gathering 
their hind legs under them. If you realize, how- 
ever, that you are out of the seat and have no 
chance to regain it, shrug the shoulders up close 
around the neck and tuck your head. Do not 
straighten or stiffen the body and limbs, but go 
all in a heap, the same as you have seen many 

53 



54 Horse and Hound. 

a drunken man fall on the street — they do not 
possess the charmed lives ascribed to them, their 
many wonderful escapes are due to the manner 
in which they fall, i. e., "all of a heap." 

If he falls or rolls upon you and you can grasp 
him around the neck as near the head as possible, 
do so, and hold him down until either assistance 
arrives or you are satisfied your feet are clear of 
the stirrups and no bones are broken, when you 
may release him. Some may smile at this ad- 
vice, thinking it impossible to thus hold a horse 
down. I know it is possible, for I have person- 
ally tried it successfully upon three occasions. 

Retain your hold upon the reins as long as 
possible; you will find them of great assistance in 
leaching "terra firma" with less momentum, and 
it may be the means of saving you a mad chase 
across the field after your horse, and a man un- 
doubtedly looks as big a fool as he feels in this 
interesting occupation. 

If one experiences immunity from falls, the 
constant dread of it will always be with him, but 
one or two harmless croppers will soon set him 
at ease, though no one will hardly assert that a 
cropper is an enjoyable addition to the day's 
sport. I would not, therefore, advise one to seek 
it, but let it find him ready when it does come. 

One can never be a really good cross-country 
rider until he has had a few falls; in fact, they 
add to rathei than detract from the nerve and 



Falls. 5 5 

courage necessary to face the perils encountered 
in a stiff country. 

If a man or woman, especially the latter, gets 
a fall, he should remount at once, if physically 
able, a loss of nerve at this stage is seldom re- 
gained, and there is no better way to avoid it 
than by resuming the saddle immediately. 

My wife received an ugly fall from a high- 
spirited horse and was so completely unnerved 
that, though completely uninjured, she could not 
be induced to remount. The consequence was 
she has never to this day regained nerve enough 
for the field; and while before she would keep 
her horse stabled for days to make him high spir- 
ited and restive, she now renounces all but an old 
family riding horse. 

I can not recall ever having heard any one 
describe the feelings experienced in their first 
cropper, but I shall never forget my own. I felt 
as though I were flying through space and would 
never reach the ground. My first thought on 
landing was, in fact I am not certain but that I 
audibly expressed it in the words, "Well, that 
was not so bad." 

Saddle courage should not be confounded 
with recklessness and dare-deviltry. They are 
as widely separated as the poles. The former is 
as much to be admired as the latter is to be con- 
demned. 



WOMEN IN THE FIELD. 

It is fortunate, indeed, that fashion, pleasure, 
and health all combine to make the accomplish- 
ment of "riding to hounds" a most desirable one 
for women to acquire. 

In its acquirement it is unnecessary for a 
woman to learn the qualifications of a rough rider 
or horse breaker, nor is it yet sufficient that she be 
merely able to ride when a horse is brought 
around saddled and bridled, but should, like a 
man, know both her horse and trappings, and 
be able to control her horse with correctness and 
precision. 

It matters not how well a woman may ride in 
the park or school; unless she has discretion or 
judgment, combined with an abundance of nerve, 
pluck, and common "hoss" sense, she should not 
essay the hunting field. Loss of nerve is not un- 
common, and once lost is hard to recover. 

To obtain these highly necessary qualifica- 
tions, her entire nervous system needs education 
and special preparation, as the best of woman 
riders are born and not made. 

Elegance in riding is absolutely indispensable, 
56 



Women in the Field. 57 

or at least highly desirable. It is as easy to show 
gentle breeding in the field as in the drawing or 
ball room — probably easier; yet I have known 
women to give every evidence of it in the draw- 
ing-room who seemed unable to show it in the 
field. 

No matter whether in the park, school, or 
field, it is of the greatest importance for a woman 
to ride in good form. In fact, there is little or no 
excuse for a woman riding otherwise. Quiet, 
unobtrusive manners on horseback, will always 
attract attention and favorable comment. 

The rules, customs, and unwritten laws of the 
hunting field laid down for men, apply with equal 
force to women; they should bear in mind they 
have absolutely no privileges not accorded to 
men. This may sound harsh to the layman or 
novice (I hope this plain heart-to-heart talk with 
women will not be construed into a lack of gal- 
lantry upon my part), but I am sure will be fully 
understood and appreciated to the limit by any 
old hunter, either man or woman. 

In fact, no woman with the true spirit of a 
sportswoman within her wants to be a burden or 
care to a man under conditions existing in the 
field. She does not expect or care for attentions 
ordinarily extended, but wants to be treated as an 
equal, a companion in sport; in fact, a good fel- 
low, and can only enjoy herself under such con- 
ditions. Therefore, no special instruction or ad- 



5 8 Horse and Hound. 

vice will be laid down here for the conduct of 
women in the field. 

They must early learn to trust to their own 
dexterity and judgment for their safety and posi- 
tion in the run. 

Riding to hounds may seem easy to one while 
seated in a comfortable chair in a cozy corner of a 
drawing-room, but upon a cold, raw, wet, slip- 
pery day, on the back of a fretful, nervous horse, 
approaching a high fence with no idea of what is 
beyond, and doubtful if your horse has power 
enough left to carry you over or on top of the 
fence, it assumes an entirely different aspect. 

No woman should ride to hounds until she 
can manage all sorts and kinds of horses, mount 
and dismount unaided, jump fearlessly, and be 
capable of looking after both herself and her 
horse under any and all circumstances. 

It is hardly to be expected that a woman 
should hold her own in the first flight of hard 
riding men, yet I have seen them not only at- 
tempt it, but succeed, but only through a display 
of recklessness and dare-deviltry that had a man 
been guilty of it, he would undoubtedly have had 
every bone in his body broken. 

I never accord such riders a superabundance 
of either skill or pluck, but ascribe their per- 
formances to either ignorance of the dangers, or 

d foolishness upon their part. The after 

talk of "the ministering care of her guardian 



V 




- - . 



•^,*, 



^5 



4 

$1 






!>.:<*;;; 






*% 




Correct Seat and Hands. 



Incorrect Seat and Hands. 



Women in the Field. 59 

angel" and "the all-protecting influence of provi- 
dence over drunkards and fools" sounds very 
well, but some day she will be brought in from 
the field on a stretcher. 

As to the horse a woman should ride in the 
field, the most necessary qualifications are good 
mouth, level head, sure foot, both in jumps and 
on the field. He should have good withers, not 
too high and thin, as a sore back will follow, yet 
withers should not be lower than croup, as it 
will be almost impossible to hold the saddle in 
place ; for the same reason a broad back is prefer- 
able to a narrow one. 

It is a mistake to have too small a horse for a 
woman, especially if she rides with side saddle; 
the same weight on a side saddle is much harder 
on a horse than a man's saddle. 

A five foot woman should use not less than 
a 1 5-1 horse, irrespective of her weight. 

Few women are good judges of pace, or the 
amount of endurance a horse is capable of, and 
are inclined to regard them as a machine of un- 
limited power. They should early learn to gauge 
a horse's capacity, distressed breathing, and la- 
bored action are the most positive indications of 
distress. A game, ambitious hunter will go until 
he drops in his tracks. Aside from the cruelty of 
riding an overdone horse, it is exceedingly dan- 
gerous. 

A woman's horse should be broken for walls 



6o Horse and Hound. 

before being sent to the field, a good timber top- 
per does not necessarily mean a stone fence or 
brook jumper. 

Many of the accidents encountered in the field 
occur in the break away, before the field becomes 
"strung out/' when the fox breaks covert, and 
the signal is given to "away." A woman should 
keep her wits about her, and take her time in get- 
ting position, allowing the madcaps and the hot- 
heads to have the first fence or gate to them- 
selves. It is seldom the first away are the first 
in at the death. If in doubt as to the landing- 
side, do not hesitate to jog up to the fence and 
take a look, provided there is no one close be- 
hind you, turn and go back far enough to enable 
your horse to get well upon his stride before "put- 
ting him." Remember a careful, cautious rider is 
always more welcome in the field than a wild, in- 
competent one. Should your mount show the 
least inclination to rear, when refusing a jump, 
never mount him again. Of all vices, this is the 
most dangerous to women, and should never be 
tolerated. 

While a woman should not confine herself to 
any one horse, especially while a novice, she 
should never attempt a jump she is not certain 
her mount can negotiate. Many an ambitious, 
oversanguine young woman has come to grief 
over this, as have others in going at a jump in a 
half-hearted, irresolute manner. 



Women in the Field. 61 

While it is not an easy thing for a woman to 
open and close gates, it is an accomplishment they 
should possess and can only be acquired by con- 
stant practice, of both horse and rider. 

Every woman who rides anywhere, except 
possibly in a riding-school, should have a thor- 
oughly practical knowledge of bridling, saddling, 
and of the adjustment of bits and curbs, and yet 
it is astonishing how few men riders possess this 
knowledge. Too much is trusted to grooms. They, 
like all human beings, are not infallible; in fact, 
they are frequently careless and often criminally 
negligent. Always bear in mind that a run across 
country is an altogether different proposition 
from a ride through the parks or city ; in fact, at 
any and all times, it is a serious matter as far as 
life and limb are concerned. 

A woman's hunting side saddle should be per- 
fectly plain, free of ornamentation, and with flat 
seat, no third pommel on the right side, and 
should be cut away above the withers, unless the 
horse's conformation demands it, there should be 
but little padding, the saddle fitting close to the 
horse. 

The stirrup leathers should come through 
opening in flap and not from between the seat and 
flap at their juncture. 

The cantle should extend about two inches 
beyond plumb line of spine, be flat and not turned 
or curved up. 



62 Horse and Hound. 

It is a mooted question whether the seat 
should be buck or pig skin ; the former undoubt- 
edly gives greater resistance from friction. It is 
largely a matter of choice. 

The stirrup should be a high grade steel safety 
stirrup, opening only when pressure is brought to 
bear upon it from below. The plain and slipper 
stirrups are an abomination, and should never be 
used under any circumstances. 

I do not approve of a spur for side-saddle 
riding, and it is extremely questionable whether 
a woman should use one, even when riding 
astride. If it is absolutely necessary for a cer- 
tain horse, the spur should have the safety rowel. 

There are certain minutiae in regard to dress 
that no man can know of, or describe as well as 
a woman herself, but few women, however, until 
they have hunted several seasons, can bring them- 
selves to the point of sacrificing looks to comfort, 
safety, and durability. The habit should be sim- 
ple, well made, and well fitted, of the very best 
material, and always made with safety skirts. 
The latter are more or less awkward when one is 
dismounted, but this is more than offset by the 
feeling of security and safety it gives the wearer 
in the saddle. 

For winter hunting, the whipcords and dark 
rough materials are the best, though the khaki, or 
heavy duck habits, with heavier underclothing, 




GEO. J. GARRETT. 
Georgia. 



Women in the Field. 63 

can be used the greater part of the season, and 
have the advantage of being smarter in appear- 
ance, as well as cheaper. With the khaki, or duck 
habits, tan boots or putte leggins should be worn. 
The soles should be broad and quite heavy with 
low flat heels. Gloves should be large, of heavy 
material, with grip seams on palm and fingers, 
and strong clasps, well up on the wrists. 

A soft felt hat or a derby sufficiently large to 
set well and firmly on the head, should be secured 
by an elastic band — hat pins should never be worn 
in the field as they are exceedingly dangerous in 
case of an accident. A silk hat is bad 
enough on a man, but much worse upon a 
woman. I hardly think it necessary to 
mention lacing, a novice in the saddle never 
hunts or rides across country, and experience in 
learning to ride teaches one the saddle is no place 
for tight stays. 

I can not close the question of dress, how- 
ever, without suggesting that no matter how 
warm and pleasant the day may appear at the 
outset, provision should be made for an extra 
coat for use during a loss or check after a long 
run, or to be used in sudden changes of weather. 
A small, sleeveless chamois jacket, tightly rolled 
and tied to your saddle, later on may loom up into 
the proportions of a life-preserver. 

Never, never, mount for a run without know- 



64 Horse and Hound. 

ing personally that your girths, saddle-cloths, and 
bits are all right. Nothing so thoroughly dis- 
gusts or angers a man as to be called upon in 
the field, especially during a run, to "please 
tighten my girths." Were a man engaged to a 
woman he would be justified in breaking the en- 
gagement under this great provocation. 

In mounting, hold your reins in right hand, 
grasping fixed pommel with same, turn your face 
and body slightly towards your horse, place your 
left hand on leaping horn, your left foot in hand 
of assistant about twelve inches from the ground, 
say "ready" — straightening the left leg at the 
same time — your assistant gives you a lift into the 
saddle sideways. Place the right knee over the 
fixed pommel, the left foot in the stirrup, lean 
back that he may pull your skirt forward and ad- 
just the straps; then lean forward with weight 
on stirrup that the habit may be pulled from be- 
neath you and straightened; test length of stir- 
rup ; then transfer the reins to left hand and you 
are ready to ride. 

To dismount, take reins in right hand, re- 
lease habit straps with left, remove right knee 
from the fixed pommel; when skirts and straps 
are free place hands on pommels, turn sideways 
and spring clear of saddle and alight on balls of 
both feet. 

As with the man, the balance seat is the only 



Women in the Field. 65 

one for a woman, and it should be thoroughly 
understood, both in theory and practice, as the 
most important and necessary thing to be re- 
membered and constantly borne in mind. 

Sit squarely upon the saddle, your shoulders 
at right angles with horse's spine, your own spine 
on a line with horse's, shoulders level — not one 
elevated above the other. Hollow of right knee 
should be pressed firmly against the fixed pom- 
mel with leg hanging down easily, enabling you 
to grip the fixed pommel with the upper part of 
calf of leg by drawing in the heel of right foot 
whenever necessary. 

The stirrup leather should be adjusted so that 
the loose pommel, or leaping horn, will touch the 
left leg about four inches above the knee cap 
when the ball of the foot is on bar of stirrup, the 
toe pointing up with the heel down. A shorter 
or longer stirrup leather is to be avoided. (See 
drawings, correct and incorrect.) 

Sit easily and comfortable erect, yet avoid ap- 
pearance of rigidity or stiffness, and bear in mind 
that a graceful and proper seat can only be ac- 
quired by balance, and not through pressure upon 
the pommels. The hip movement required in 
jumping and riding by balance can be readily un- 
derstood by riding a child's hobbyhorse. 

The labor of riding should be divided between 
the right and left legs, and not too much work or 
5 



66 Horse and Hound. 

weight placed upon the left. This, however, can 
be accomplished only when riding, by balance. 

The hands should be held hip high, wrists 
bent so knuckles point forward with thumbs up, 
with elbows close to the sides, wrists limber — 
never stiff; arms and hands never hanging at 
your side; reins to be held same as in instructions 
to man ; crop in right hand. 

Light hands are a blessing enjoyed by few 
women, though as a rule they have better hands 
than men. It is lack of hands that produces rest- 
iveness and unruliness in horses. It is, therefore, 
requisite, in fact indispensable, to a woman wish- 
ing to ride with ease and safety, to have good 
hands. 

No matter how nervous or uncertain a woman 
may feel in the saddle, she should never allow her 
horse to find it out. You may admit this to 
every one in the field, but not to your horse. 
Horses are quick to "catch on" to this and quicker 
to take undue advantage of it, and should he even 
suspect you of these emotions, immediately con- 
vince him to the contrary, even if you have to 
"swallow your heart" to do so. 

The woman who clucks to her horse, the one 
who goes to the field with loose girths, and the 
one who asks questions of the master or hunts- 
man, should be coupled together and sentenced 
to pink teas on hunting days for the remainder of 
their natural lives. 




Correct Seat. 



Incorrect Seat. 



Women in the Field. 67 

Few women are capable of really controlling 
a vicious horse. Though they frequently believe 
their immunity from accidents is due to their 
skill, there will sooner or later come a time when 
they will have their eyes opened to the fact that 
luck has played equally as important a part as 
their skill and knowledge of horsemanship. 
Horses that can not be controlled by physical 
strength are frequently controlled by patience and 
knowledge, and it is wonderful the soothing 
effect a woman's voice has over some horses. 

Never, under any circumstances, release your 
hold upon the reins. If your horse bolts and you 
realize you have not the strength to hold him, 
draw the heel of the right foot in and up, thrust 
your left foot well into the stirrup and grip his 
side with left leg; sit close to the saddle, slightly 
incline forward, grasp the reins with both hands 
and steer him clear of all obstructions, and let 
him run. At the outset, saw the bit through his 
mouth, but do not jerk him sideways after he has 
attained his speed; you may only succeed in 
throwing him. A man can take this chance, but 
not a woman. When his first burst of speed and 
temper is over, try the effect of your voice with 
a steady pull of the bits through his mouth. 
Should he approach any hills or heavy plowed 
ground, pump him by giving him his head, and 
follow up with the voice and steady pulling as 
before. If in his flight he heads for house, fence, 



68 Horse and Hound. 

or other obstructions he will not attempt to jump. 
Commence in time turning him to the right, so in 
case he gets you out of the saddle, you will go 
off to the left instead of the right. Your safety 
stirrup (without which no lady should ever get 
into the saddle) will release your foot, and your 
skirts come clear. Retain your grasp of the reins 
to the last, even when you have left the saddle; 
they will assist in letting you down easy. 

However, the main thing is not to let him get 
the start on you. If you suspect him of bolting, 
watch his ears closely; they are good indicators, 
and will generally give warning of his intention. 
Pull him up and face him the other way until his 
"spell" is over; then hold him down to a mod- 
erate pace. 

The question of the cross saddle for women 
is now receiving much attention, many converts 
resulting. It is, however, but the revival of an 
ancient custom of the seventeenth century. It 
goes to prove there is "nothing new under the 
sun." 

Personally, I am a convert to the advisability 
of women riding astride, especially in the hunt- 
ing field. I believe it to be much safer, easier, 
and undoubtedly healthier, and while some think 
it ungraceful and undignified, I can not agree 
with them. Of course, a short limbed, fleshy 
woman mounted on a broad-backed horse would 
doubtless appear to disadvantage, but I am not 



Women in the Field. 69 

certain she would not look equally as bad with 
the new style, short, close-fitting skirts on a side- 
saddle, especially from a rear view point. 

As to the question of hygiene, a member of 
my family consulted the eminent physician, Dr. 
Lewis Sayre, of New York, before deciding the 
question for her daughter, and he unhesitatingly 
indorsed the cross saddle as much the healthier of 
the two, and in consequence, her daughter 
adopted it, has never had cause to regret it, and 
is considered one of the best horsewomen in Ken- 
tucky to-day. 

With the new style divided skirt it is scarcely 
noticeable, and unless one's attention were called 
to it, few would detect the difference in a party of 
say six, half riding side and half cross saddles. 

You men who prate about the impropriety and 
immodesty of the style, try riding on a side-sad- 
dle for a few hours, or better still, do as I have 
done, try jumping a fence on one, and you will 
soon become a convert to the new style. 

Princess Victoria, granddaughter of King 
Edward, rides astride. Royal patronage in Eng- 
land implies much, and with the stamp of their 
approval it will soon become popular there. Its 
popularity, unfortunately, will not reach this 
country until several seasons later. 

Aside from its greater comfort to rider and 
horse, the question of safety should determine a 
woman's using the cross saddle in the hunting 



jo Horse and Hound. 

field. To-day horses have to be specially broken 
and trained for women in the field; when the 
cross saddle comes into universal use, which I 
hope to live long enough to see, a woman can 
ride, handle, and control any horse a man can 
ride. 





L 



THE HOUND. 



" ijta nx&l}-attnrxn tail a'tt tyxa bmao bark bmba In an 

amok arrlj ; an aljoulhrra rlran, upright, ani» fitrm, Ijr- atanoa ; 
Ijta nrntto rat foot, Biratgljt ljama, attb tutor- aprrao tiftgljs, atto 
Ijta lom-orowomo, rbrat, rottfraa ijta aprro/* — (&mtt*rfiUl*.) 

The character, sensibilities, and intellectual 
faculties of the foxhound are but little known; 
they are, unfortunately, considered rather stupid 
and uninteresting than otherwise by the majority 
of the people in this country, especially those un- 
acquainted with the mysteries of hound lore. In 
England, for hundreds of years, they have been 
held in the highest estimation for their splendid 
intelligence, their inexhaustible courage, and un- 
equaled endurance; qualities that are indispensa- 
ble in adding to the pleasure of her sportsmen, 
and there is no gainsaying the fact that the popu- 
larity of the hound has rapidly increased in this 
country during the past quarter of a century. 

The origin of the breed has been the subject of 
debate and deep research among sportsmen from 
time immemorial. However, it is generally con- 
ceded to be a judicious crossing between the 
bloodhound and the ancient greyhound. This is 
undoubtedly true, as a first cross of the same 

71 



J 2 Horse and Hound. 

breeds to-day will produce a hound with many of 
the characteristics and qualities of the foxhound ; 
this I ascertained from the accidental service of 
one of my bloodhound bitches by a greyhound. 

Effingham Wilson, author of the Field Book, 
published in London in 1835, writing of the stag- 
hound, says: 

"It seems extremely probable that this large, 
strong, and bony hound was the primeval stock 
from which all the collateral branches (fox- 
hounds included) of this race have descended, 
and all deviations from the original stem have 
been the result of crosses and improvements dur- 
ing many centuries by those skilled in rearing and 
breeding dogs of the chase, and varied in strength 
and size according to the particular sport for 
which they are intended." 

As to the antiquity of the foxhound, if the 
writings of Gervase Markham, in 1631, are to be 
relied upon, hounds were used in the chase of the 
fox as early as 1630. 

The origin of the American foxhound has 
greatly exercised the speculative faculties of many 
writers, many of whom draw upon vague tradi- 
tion and conjecture to support their theories. (See 
chapter on History and Origin.) 

Our old-time native foxhounds were undoubt- 
edly degenerate bloodhounds, and to the infusion 
of English, Irish, and French blood are we in- 
debted for the vast improvement, especially in 



The Hound. 73 

conformation, size, and some of the better qual- 
ities. 

The general average of excellence is much 
greater than it was even a decade ago. Within 
the past twenty years I have judged hound classes 
on the bench at such cities as Chicago, Cincinnati, 
St. -Louis, and Indianapolis. It has not been 
many years since I sent every hound from the 
ring in American hound classes, withholding all 
awards. I hardly think this could occur in the 
present day. 

The improvement in the class of hounds in 
the field trials is no less marked. 

A comparison of types, as advocated by that 
of Beckford, written over one hundred years ago, 
and the National Fox-hunters' Association, will 
prove interesting. The latter standard was for- 
mulated by the following committee: W. S. 
Walker, W. C. Goodman, A. C. Heffinger, 
Francis J. Hagan, William Wade, Colonel H. C. 
Trigg, and myself as chairman. It has been 
adopted by all the foxhound field trial associa- 
tions and bench shows as the standard for judg- 
ing American hounds. 

Beckford's description is : 

"There are necessary points in the shape of a 
hound which ought always to be attended to by 
a sportsman, for if he be not of perfect symmetry 
he will neither run fast nor bear much work. He 
has much to undergo and should have strength 



74 Horse and Hound. 

proportioned to it. Let his legs be straight as 
arrows, his feet round and not too large, his 
breast rather wide than narrow, his chest deep, 
his back broad, his head small, his neck thin, his 
tail thick and bushy, and if he carry it well, so 
much the better. Such hounds as are out at the 
elbows and such as are weak from the knee to 
the foot, should never be taken into the pack. 
The color I think of little moment." 

Two very important things overlooked, how- 
ever, by Beckford, are the length of the thigh 
and the depth of the back ribs, both of vital im- 
portance. 

The American foxhound, while differing in 
some respects from the English, should be judged 
upon the same value of points. 

The American hound should be smaller and 
lighter in muscle and bone. Dogs should not be 
under 21 nor over 24 inches, nor weigh more than 
60 pounds. Bitches should not be under 20 nor 
over 23 inches, nor weigh more than 53 pounds. 

The head (value 15) should be of medium 
size with muzzle in harmonious proportions. The 
skull should be rounded crosswise with slight 
peak — line of profile nearly straight — with suffi- 
cient stop to give symmetry to head. Ears me- 
dium, not long, thin, soft in coat, low set and 
closely pendant. Eyes soft, medium size, and 
varying shades of brown. Nostrils slightly ex- 




Nose. 


8. 


Brisket. 


14. 


Elbow. 


Flews or Chaps. 


9. 


Top of shoulder blades 


15. 


Fore-arm. 


Nasal Bone. 




or " shoulder." 


16. 


Knee. 


Stop. 


10. 


Top of Hip- joint. 


17. 


Stifle-joint 


Skull. 


1 1. 


Shoulder-blade or scap- 


18. 


Hocks. 


Occiput. 




ula. 


19. 


Stern. 


Dewlap (where such ex- 


12. 


Rump-bone. 


20. 


Chest. 


ists.) 


13. 


Arm. 


21. 


Pasterns. 



The Hound. 75 

panded. The head, as a whole, should denote 
hound "character." 

The neck (value 5) must be clean and of good 
length, slightly arched, strong where it springs 
from the shoulder, and gradually tapering to the 
head without trace of throatiness. 

The shoulders (value 10) should be of suffi- 
cient length to give leverage and power — well 
sloped, muscular, but clean run and not too broad. 

Chest and back ribs (value 10). The chest 
should be deep for lung space, narrower in pro- 
portion to depth than the English hound — 28 
inches in a 24-inch hound being good. Well- 
sprung ribs — back ribs should extend well back — 
a three-inch flank allowing springiness. 

The back and loin (value 10) should be broad, 
short, and strong, slightly arched. 

The hindquarters and lower thighs (value 
10) must be well muscled and very strong. 

The stifles should be low set, not too much 
bent nor yet too straight — a happy medium. 

The elbows (value 5) should be set straight, 
neither in nor out. 

Legs and feet (value 20) are of great im- 
portance. Legs should be straight and placed 
squarely under shoulder, having plenty of bone 
without clumsiness; strong pasterns well stood 
upon. Feet round, catlike, not too large, toes 
well knuckled, close and compact, strong nails, 
pad thick, tough, and indurated by use. 



J 6 Horse and Hound. 

Color and coat (value 5). Black, white, and 
tan are preferable, though the solids and various 
pies are permissible; coat should be rough and 
coarse without being wiry or shaggy. 

Symmetry (value 5). The form of the hound 
should be harmonious throughout. He should 
show his blood quality and hound character in 
every aspect and movement. If he scores high in 
other properties, symmetry is bound to follow. 

The stern (value 5) must be strong in bone 
at the root, of medium length, carried like a saber 
on line with spine, and must have good brush — a 
docked stern should not disqualify, but simply 
handicap, according to extent of docking. 

Summary. 

Head 15 

Neck 5 

Shoulders 10 

Chest and back ribs 10 

Back and loin 10 

Hindquarters and lower thighs. . . 10 

Elbows 5 

Legs and feet 20 

Color and coat 5 

Stern 5 

Symmetry 5 



100 



The Hound. 77 

Faults in Hound Construction. 

Head too short and thick. 

Neck short, throaty. 

Shoulders upright and loaded. 

Lack of muscle. 

Not straight below knee. 

Hind leg too straight. 

Long flat foot. 

Hock not close enough to ground. 

Slack loin, sway back. 

Shallow chest, flat side. 

A narrow chest. 

Head lacking hound quality. 

Crooked and light-boned legs. 

Improperly set or carried stern. 

Loose, flat feet. 

Faults in Field. 

Too slow. 

Bad caster. 

Babbler. 

Potterer. 

Roader. 

Skirter. 

Rioter. 

The extraordinary scenting powers of a 
hound are as unlimited as they are unrivaled, 
and never cease to be a wonder to the novice. 
The instinct to pursue and kill is a second nature 
in the hound, and they seem to derive an insa- 



j& Horse and Hound. 

liable pleasure in indulging it. Nature has en- 
dowed them with an enduring patience and cour- 
age that enables them, hungry, fatigued, footsore, 
and exhausted, to continue the chase while every 
step is painful to a degree. 

Hounds have been known to run a fox or deer 
twenty-four hours continuously without food or 
rest. Bitches have been known to whelp while in a 
chase, and an authentic case is on record of a 
bitch whelping a pup and taking it up in her 
mouth and continuing the run. I shipped a bitch 
to the Brunswick Fur Trials in 1902 that had es- 
caped from the kennel the night before, and join- 
ing a running pack, had run for twelve hours in 
the rough, rocky cliffs of the Kentucky River. 
She reached Barre the day of the trials two days 
later, and her handler wired me for instructions, 
saying she had cut all the pads from her feet, and 
could hardly walk. I wired him to put collodion 
on her feet and start her anyhow, which he did. 
While not winning, she ran gamely throughout 
the trials, never faltering, and a hunter present, 
realizing her gameness, wired me for price on 
her. It is needless to add I refused to put a price 
on her. 

In England skirting is considered one of the 
most serious faults a hound can have. In view 
of the fact that they hunt "home-grown foxes," 
and know within a few hundred yards of where 
the fox will be jumped, this may well be classed 




WILLFUL. 
English Foxhound imported by Fox hall Keene. 



The Hound. 79 

as a fault, but with us it is proof of sagacity in 
a hound and many a pack would be returned to 
the kennel after a day's blank drawing were it 
not for the skirters. 

I have also heard it asserted that if a hound 
were "too heely" (fast) for the pack, it would 
be considered a fault, and he would be disposed 
of, as would a hound with too much tongue. 

That they do not encourage these two quali- 
ties, I am inclined to believe, for I never saw an 
English hound with either surplus speed or 
tongue. 

I have always been partial to the medium size 
in hounds ; the small hounds are usually very ac- 
tive and possess great powers of endurance, but 
are at a disadvantage when running through 
heavy weeds, bushes, and briers, and are handi- 
capped by tall fences. 

The large hounds can not stand the heat, and 
the constant pounding on rough, rocky ground 
soon puts them upon crutches. If hounds were 
required to take up a handicap or impost of 15 
or 20 pounds weight, then the English type of 
hound would be strictly in it, but as nose, speed, 
and endurance are the qualities necessary to suc- 
cessfully cope with our red fox, I fail to appre- 
ciate this extra weight carrying capacity or see 
the necessity of having a hound whose weight of 
bone in fore leg and shoulder will outweigh all 
the bones in the frame of his quarry. 



8o Horse and Hound. 

The question whether bitches are better than 
dogs in the field is a mooted one. I am rather in- 
clined to think they are, though I know of many 
experienced hunters who hold to the other theory. 
In England the lady packs (bitches) are hunted 
separately, and they are considered both faster 
and quicker, but I am inclined to think this is be- 
cause they are smaller, and were the dogs the 
same size and build, I do not think the difference 
would be as apparent, though slightly in favor 
of the bitches. In this country, where less atten- 
tion is paid to appearance, size, and sortiness of 
a pack, dogs and bitches are hunted together, and 
as dogs are undoubtedly freer with their tongues, 
while bitches have more dash and vim, though are 
less steady, they undoubtedly make a strong com- 
bination in working together. 

It is a widely discussed question, and much 
has been written upon the relative merits of the 
American and English hounds. In touching upon 
this subject I shall attempt to give a fair and im- 
partial statement of the same as seen from my 
viewpoint. I have also advised with others whom 
I consider authorities upon the subject, being 
hunters of wide experience, who, like myself, 
have imported, bred, raised, and hunted English 
hounds of the very best strains to be had. 

In the matter of breeding true to a type, we 
must yield the palm to the English; in the art 
and science of breeding they are not only the 



The Hound. 81 

peers, but the superiors, of all other nations, and 
this applies to all domestic animals as well as the 
horse and hound. 

As to hounds, they have established a high 
standard of excellence as to size, symmetry, con- 
formation, and beauty of form and style, and 
breed for these qualities to the detriment of nose, 
speed, endurance, and fox sense. While we must 
admit that an even, level, sorty-looking pack, well 
balanced in size, color, and markings, are pleas- 
ing to the eye, yet none of these qualities can 
compare with those of nose, speed, endurance, 
and fox sense when it comes to hunting foxes in 
America. We admit the English are far our 
superiors in breeding, and had they for the past 
two hundred years employed their ability and 
efforts to perfect hounds in the latter qualities, 
they would undoubtedly have produced a hound 
that could come to this country and eclipse any 
of our hounds in the field, instead of taking posi- 
tion as second-raters, as they invariably do. 

Admirers of English hounds excuse their 
many faults by stating they are well adapted for 
the work required of them in England. Grant- 
ing this, until it is proven that the American 
hound is their inferior on their own ground in 
England, I must take issue with them, for I am 
prepared to state emphatically from personal 
knowledge, that under the conditions obtaining in 
the greater hunting portions of America, the Eng- 



82 Horse and Hound. 

lish hounds are far from being the equals of the 
natives as "all around" foxhounds. 

I have imported hounds from some of the 
best packs in England, Pychtly, Grafton, Quorn, 
Belvoir, and others, and have hunted with many 
imported by others, but have never hunted or 
seen one in the field that I considered a top 
notcher. 

There is no doubt but the English hound is 
more satisfactory to hunt clubs in the East, where 
the majority hunt to ride; they are better trained 
and broken, more evenly mated as to speed, not 
fast enough to get away from the riders, more 
sightly in appearance — if one can close his eyes 
to the "out at elbow" and 'toeing in" appearance 
that nine-tenths of them present. They generally 
are an even sorty lot, and frequently as much 
alike as two peas, which is all important with 
many, as was evidenced by the reply I received 
from a celebrated Eastern hunter who has famous 
jumping horses and a well-known pack of hounds. 
He wrote me to know if I could let him have a 
hound good enough to win in field trials about to 
be held. I answered in the affirmative, and stated 
I had one I knew could smother his crack win- 
ning hound — which, by the way, I had also bred. 
He seemed delighted at the prospect of securing 
such a good one, and I had the bitch shipped him, 
a big, fine, racy, symmetrical hound. He re- 
turned her with the statement that she had a 



The Hound. 83 

white spot on one side of her head, and it was 
unnecessary to try her qualities in the field, as 
this would spoil the appearance of his pack ! 

The hunting in England does not call for the 
possession of the same qualities in hounds as it 
does in America. There the climatic and atmos- 
pheric conditions are generally favorable, espe- 
cially in the moist grass countries, where trail- 
ing conditions are such that scent hangs breast 
high, and a hound with half a nose could run it 
at top speed. 

The coverts are convenient and small, the 
huntsman knows within a few hundred yards of 
where the fox "uses," and can lay his hounds on 
the line at any time. The foxes are fat, sleek, 
well fed, and in an untrained condition — a 
straight away run of eight or ten miles is un- 
common. The runs seldom exceed one and a half 
or two hours, once in a dozen chases. 

If a check or loss is made the hounds have 
the assistance of huntsmen, whippers in, earth 
stoppers, and the hunter in regaining the line. 

The problem that confronts the American 
hound is an altogether different proposition. Our 
coverts and forests are extremely large, the foxes 
remaining wild and timid, and seldom pass twen- 
ty-four hours without a run of from four to eight 
hours, the hounds frequently running them by 
themselves without hunters (unless the packs are 



84 Horse and Hound. 

large they are not kenneled and generally run at 
large). 

One or two ambitious hounds will alone get 
up a fox at dusk, and as they circle through the 
neighborhood all the hounds in hearing "hark" 
to them until ten or a dozen couples are bustling 
him in full cry. Does the fox go to earth ? Not 
he, earth stoppers are unnecessary; he will lead 
them a merry chase as long as he can drag one 
foot behind the other, or until daylight warns 
him he had better "seek the seclusion that his 
burrow grants." I have, upon more than one 
occasion in the "Blue Grass Country," heard two 
and three different packs in the middle of the 
night, each one after a different fox, making 
music that would cause the blood to go galloping 
through one's veins like a race horse. 

Thus at any time his "foxship" is trained to 
the minute. 

The character of the country hunted over is 
frequently dry and rocky, many large plowed and 
cultivated fields with woodlands strewn with dry, 
parched leaves. It is not uncommon for hounds 
to hunt half a day before a trail is struck ; it may 
then be an old, over-night trail that will require 
hours of persevering work before the fox is afoot. 

I am prepared to state that a hound that would 
be considered a wonder in the grass countries of 
England, if cast with a pack in America in our 
Southern States, where he would be expected to 



., 




' : '-D. ■ 




\ ■ 




'■ r - -m^M ;. 



BOURBON. 

American Hound. Williams Strain. 



The Hound. 85 

take a trail many hours old, in a dry, barren 
country, puzzle it out for several hours, make a 
jump and then run it from ten to twenty hours — 
a feat I have seen performed scores of times by 
American hounds — would find himself hopelessly 
out of a job. 

The English hounds have been packed to such 
an extent as to eradicate the independence and 
self-reliance so natural to the American hound; 
the latter hunts independently of hound or man, 
and seldom expects or receives any assistance 
from either. 

Mr. Mather, a most enthusiastic hunter and 
experienced breeder, who has experimented with 
the English, the American, and the cross-bred 
hounds, is one of the very few champions of the 
English hound. His opinion does not seem to 
be shared by a majority of the members of the 
Radnor Hunt. While master of the Radnor 
Hunt, he alternated the hounds, hunting a pack 
of the English hounds one day, and a pack of 
American hounds the next. It is a well-known 
fact that the majority of the hunters always 
turned out on the day the American pack was 
run. In his article on English hounds, in the 
American Sportsmen's Library (Sporting Dogs), 
he says that he would "no more breed to Shirley, 
an American hound, than he would send Hanover 
mares to a Hackney stallion.' ' 

I bred Shirley (see picture). As to his field 



86 Horse and Hound. 

qualities, he won first in speed and driving classes 
at the Brunswick Fur Club, and as to his confor- 
mation, quality, and symmetry, is a several times 
first prize winner on the bench, surely a good 
record. It is true, he is not as large as a yearling 
calf, and this is wherein he has doubtless of- 
fended. 

Reference to the earlier volumes of the Fox- 
hound Stud books, compiled and published by 
me, containing 1,000 pedigrees, will show that 
many American breeders crossed their bitches 
on the English hound, but the last volume, now 
in press, shows this practice has been discon- 
tinued. I myself have imported hounds from 
the celebrated English packs, and crossed them 
on bitches that were undersized, merely to get 
bone and substance, but this was obtained only 
at the sacrifice of other qualities, possibly more 
desirable. 

The hound Banker, which won first prize at 
the show of the Brunswick Fur Club in 1903, for 
best stallion hound, was bred by me, and was 
the result of one of my experiments, as he was 
sired by Imp. Admiral, an English hound from 
the Quorn pack, and out of one of my native 
American bitches. Although entered in the field 
trials at Barre, he failed to get in the money, yet 
he had no trouble in disposing of the field trial 
winners who had beaten him, when he came into 




V 




g,,««,,, s 



HUt 



k>. 



> 



^ m 



BANKER. 

Williams Strain 



The Hound. Sy 

competition with them on the bench. (See por- 
trait.) 

I am not alone in my opinion of the relative 
merits of the English and American hounds. Mr. 
Harry W. Smith, master of the Grafton Hunt, 
who, like myself, has hunted both the American 
and English hounds in America, and the Eng- 
lish hounds in England, considers the English 
hound useless when it comes to individual work 
picking up cold scent, giving tongue to bring the 
other hounds to the trail, and running the trail 
five or six hours, under American conditions. 

Colonel H. C. Trigg, the "Nestor of the 
Hunt," one of the most thoroughly practical 
breeders and hunters of foxhounds in America; 
Mr. W. S. Walker, the present owner of the 
Walker hounds ; Thomas Hitchcock, of the Aiken 
hounds, and many others who gave the English 
hounds a thorough test of several years' dura- 
tion, have all abandoned them for the American. 
This, however, merely proves that American 
hounds are superior to English hounds hunted 
in America. What an American pack could do 
in England remains to be seen. 

I have seen hounds in France (probably 
hounds of Gascogne or Normandie) which I am 
satisfied would cross well upon our smaller Amer- 
ican hounds. They were from 24 to 28 inches 
tall, of a tri-color, with very long, lean head, 



SS Horse and Hound. 

prominent peak; ears long, thin, pendulous, and 
velvety; strong in body, though rather long in 
loin, but well arched, good powerful, compact 
feet. 

I did not hunt these hounds, but they seemed 
rather headstrong and hard to control. I am 
of the opinion that the early Maryland and Vir- 
ginia hounds contained some of this blood. 




French Hound— present day. 



HISTORY AND ORIGIN OF THE 
AMERICAN HOUND. 

The origin and early history of the American 
hound is clouded somewhat in mystery. 

It is generally understood they were imported 
from England, but exactly when, and by whom, 
we have no authentic record. 

While believing they are largely descended 
from the English hound, there is no doubt in my 
mind that the French hound plays equally as im- 
portant a part in their origin. Lafayette sent 
over a large pack of French hounds, this being 
really the first pack of hounds we have any 
record of as having been imported into the United 
States as a pack, though individual hounds had 
been previously imported from England. 

If we can rely upon shape, conformation, 
hound characteristics, and general appearance, 
then we are indebted more to the French than 
the English hound for our original stock. I have 
seen many packs of hounds in different parts of 
France that certainly resembled our old-time, na- 
tive black and tan, long eared, long headed, high 
peaked, deep mouthed hounds, much more than 

89 



90 Horse and Hound. 

the English hound, though the present American 
hound — judged by the National Fox-hunters' As- 
sociation standard — more closely resembles the 
English. 

As far back as the Revolutionary War, the 
chief sport and pastime of the South was fox- 
hunting, and while no regularly organized hunts 
were established, every Southern gentleman of 
means had his hounds and was as proud and jeal- 
ous of their reputation as of those of his horses 
and of his own family. While at this period no 
tabulated pedigrees were kept nor hounds regis- 
tered — no stud book having been established — 
each owner was as careful in the breeding of his 
hounds to good performers only, as he was of his 
racers. 

In the North, at this period, a few straggling 
individual hounds were owned, not to chase the 
fox, but to drive him and deer within range of a 
ten-bore gun waiting to perforate their pelts with 
buckshot. 

Among the earlier settlers of Maryland was 
Robert Brooke, a son of the Earl of Warwick, 
who brought over a pack of English hounds with 
him. The breeders and admirers of the Brooke 
strain of hounds, so well and favorably known in 
Maryland, claim they are the direct descendants 
of the hounds brought over by Robert Brooke. 
Allowing for the many outcrosses during all these 





Typical Kentucky Hounds. 



History and Origin. 91 

years, there is still resemblance enough to justify 
these claims, though they have certainly deterio- 
rated in size and type if the accounts of Brooke's 
Barney were not overdrawn. 

The Brooke strain is one of the oldest we have 
record of in this country, and owners of them 
point with pride to their long unbroken line of an- 
cestry. 

Kentucky has always been noted for its beau- 
tiful women, fine horses, and good whisky. As 
horses and hounds always go together, it is not, 
therefore, surprising that the records both of the 
bench and hound field trials show conclusively 
that the very best foxhounds in America come 
from Kentucky. 

Several reasons are given why the horses and 
hounds of Kentucky are superior to those of all 
other States. Among them is the fact that the 
water contains a larger percentage of phosphate 
of lime than any other section, and the effect of 
this upon stamina, size, and bone is well known. 
It is not only apparent in the lower animals, in- 
cluding horses and hounds, but also in man, for 
the records of the Civil War show the men en- 
listed in Kentucky were both taller and heavier 
on an average than those from any other State. 

Kentucky, settled by Virginians and Mary- 
landers, from its earliest settlement was consid- 
ered the greatest hunting ground in this country, 



92 Horse and Hound. 

and the many wars waged by the Indians before 
they would surrender it, secured for it its name 
of Kentucky, meaning the dark and bloody 
ground. The immense bands of deer and elk 
that roamed the forest were the direct means of 
introducing the hound, and from that day to the 
present they have been bred with the sole idea 
to excel in hunting, trailing, and endurance. That 
they have succeeded is proven by the records of 
the foxhound field trials, which show that 80 per 
cent of the winners are Kentucky strain. 

The most famous strain of hounds, not only 
in Kentucky, but in the United States, to-day, is 
the Walker hound. 

Mr. John W. Walker, born in 1802 in Mad- 
ison County, Kentucky, and the father of Messrs. 
Edward, Steve (W. S.), and Arch Walker, who, 
although close to seventy years old, are to-day 
considered the best fox-hunters in America, bar 
none, obtained his first hounds from his uncle, 
Wm. Williams, who used them exclusively for 
deer. Thus it will be seen this strain of hounds 
has been in this family for over one hundred 
years. 

General G. W. Maupin, for whom the Mau- 
pin strain was named, was a neighbor of Mr. 
John Walker, a close personal friend, and brother 
huntsman. They continued to hunt the gray fox 
and deer until in the early fifties the red fox 
made his appearance in Kentucky, and they be- 



History and Origin. 93 

gan to look around for a faster strain of hounds 
to cross upon their native hounds. They tried 
hounds from South Carolina, Virginia, and 
Maryland without success, and about 1856 they 
imported Rifler and Queen from the kennels of 
the Duke of Buccleuch. The Walkers admit that 
the cross of these English hounds was a distinct 
improvement, especially in size, conformation, and 
feet. General Maupin obtained a hound (named 
Lead), pedigree and breeding unknown, from 
the section of country where Kentucky, Tennes- 
see, and Virginia meet. He was a great all-round 
foxhound and was most successfully crossed on 
all the Maupin-Walker bitches, and to this day 
the best hounds of the Walker strain trace di- 
rectly back to Maupin's Lead. They bought a 
number of other hounds from the same section, 
said to be close relatives of Lead, but they all 
proved worthless, and were never used in the 
stud. 

About this time, Mr. B. F. Robinson, of Mt. 
Sterling, Kentucky, the originator of the Rob- 
inson strain, a most enthusiastic hunter and ac- 
complished horseman, brought a number of Irish 
hounds from Maryland and crossed them suc- 
cessfully upon his native pack. The most noted 
of these hounds were Whitey and Furey, who 
figure very extensively in the present stud books 
of the National Fox-hunters' Association. 
Messrs. Walker and Maupin also tried the ex- 



94 Horse and Hound. 

periment of an infusion of the Irish Maryland 
blood, but were not pleased with the results. 

Mr. W. S. Walker states that the best hounds 
they have ever owned contained one-eighth Eng- 
lish, one-eighth Lead, and six-eighths native 
Walker strain. 

The Byron hounds, of Virginia, at one time 
in the earlier history of fox-hunting, were con- 
sidered the bluest of blue bloods in the hound 
family. The original stock was owned and 
hunted by Colonel Tucker. His best stallion 
hound was Byron, from whom the strain took 
their name. Byron was sired by Rattler (the 
star of the Percival pack, 1830) ; grandsire, For- 
rester; all of the Byron strain greatly resembled 
the Irish hounds of Maryland. 

After the war they were scattered all over 
the South and the purity of the blood, as a strain, 
lost. 

The Henry strain of hounds owe their name 
and existence to Dr. Thomas Henry, a Virginian, 
and a grandson of Patrick Henry, of Revolu- 
tionary fame. His stallion hound Captain was 
by Traveler, out of Sophy, both of whom were 
by Mountain, and out of Muse. Mountain and 
Muse were imported from Ireland in 1812 by Mr. 
Bolton Jackson, of Sharpsburg, Maryland, and 
they transmitted the best qualities of the Irish 
hounds to their descendants. 

Mr. Geo. L. F. Birdsong, of Georgia, in the 




A. B. WATKINS. 
Texas. 



History and Origin. 95 

early forties, used the Henry hound in crossing 
with his native pack of Redbones, the result be- 
ing the Birdsong ; the latter being the foundation, 
or parent stock, of many of the modern strains 
of the present time. 

The July strain originated in Georgia, and 
derive their name from July, a hound that was 
procured from Mr. Nimrod Gosnell, of Mary- 
land, by Mr. Miles Harris, in i860. It is claimed 
by many that July was a direct descendant of 
Mountain and Muse, but while he was undoubt- 
edly of the Irish strain, this could never be veri- 
fied. He was crossed quite freely upon the na- 
tive bitches, which had previously been known as 
Maryland hounds. This name was afterwards 
changed to the July, and is so known to the pres- 
ent time. 

They possess great homing instincts, are fast 
runners, of limited endurance as compared with 
other strains; they contain many outcrosses, and 
are of every color and size, evidently never hav- 
ing been bred to any certain type. 

It is a generally conceded fact that the July 
strain of the present day have quite a percentage 
of greyhound blood in them; in fact, it is appar- 
ent to any one who is a close observer of blood 
lines in breeding, and many characteristics of 
the greyhound crop out in them in their field 
work. 

It is a well-known fact that an infusion of 



g6 Horse and Hound. 

greyhound blood was used as late as 1880, in- 
creasing the speed to the detriment of other qual- 
ities equally as desirable in a hound. 

With probably the exception of the Walker 
strain the Trigg strain is the best known of the 
modern, up-to-date hounds. The master, Col- 
onel H. C. Trigg (Full-Cry), of Kentucky, has 
owned and hunted his pack continuously for over 
a half-century. Being a man of ample means, 
he has never spared expense in the improvement 
of his hounds, and he can well be proud of his 
success as a breeder, as the annals of the fox- 
hound trials show that his hounds are always in 
the awards. 

His original pack, used in 1845, was tne old- 
time, long-eared, rat-tail, deep-toned, black and 
tan, Southern hound. The first out-cross on 
these was the Birdsong strain, he having pur- 
chased Chase, Bee, George, Rip, and Fannie from 
Mr. Birdsong in the early sixties, paying what 
was at that time considered a fabulous price for 
them. Twenty years later he introduced the 
Walker-Maupin blood with signal success. He 
made but one attempt to introduce the English 
blood, through "Portland," from the Quorn ken- 
nels, but considered it a failure and soon weeded 
it out. 

Though a master for over fifty years, he is 
to-day as hard and straight a rider to hounds as 
one will find. A few years ago I followed him 



History and Origin. 97 

throughout a day's hard riding to hounds, he 
mounting after having received a shoulder dislo- 
cation that would have sent many a younger man 
to his bed. 

The Redbone is one of the old-time strains; 
confined exclusively to the Southern States. The 
"native" Birdsong, Georgia, Virginia, and Ken- 
tucky hounds were undoubtedly the Redbone 
strain before the introduction of the various 
crosses previously mentioned. They were a slow, 
painstaking hound, with superior nose and splen- 
did mouth, without speed. 

As foxhounds the strain has passed out of ex- 
istence, though in the South many pure bred 
specimens can still be found, they are known as 
the "nigger" dog, or American bloodhound, and 
are used almost exclusively either for man trail- 
ing or coon and opossum hunting. 

The Buckfield strain, or "Natives," as gen- 
erally called, are to be found only in New Eng- 
land, and are totally unlike any other strain of 
hounds in America. They were first heard of in 
the vicinity of Buckfield, Maine, and derived their 
name from this fact. They have been used 
chiefly in driving game through runways to be 
shot by hunters, and are said to be very proficient 
in their art, possessing keen noses, great judg- 
ment, and remarkable endurance. 

The Wild Goose strain of hounds of Tennes- 
see dates back to 1835, and was originated by Mr. 
7 



98 Horse and Hound. 

C. S. Lewis, of Virginia, who removed to Ten- 
nessee, and Mr. John Fuquay, residing in same 
State. They crossed their packs and thus orig- 
inated the Wild Goose strain. 

They introduced also an infusion of Irish 
blood into the pack, and later a cross of the Eng- 
lish. In 1872, Colonel J. W. Lewis, a son of 
Mr. C. S. Lewis, took charge of the pack and 
kept the strain pure. 

The Portsmouth strain, named in honor of 
Portsmouth, N. H., the home of Dr. Heffenger, 
who is largely responsible for it, is a mixture of 
Byron, Buckfield, Brooke, Wild Goose, Walker, 
Robinson, Maupin, Williams, July, and English, 
and as the best specimens of these famous strains 
were procured, it is not to be wondered at their 
giving a most excellent account of themselves, 
both on the bench and at the Brunswick field 
trials. 

The Cook strain, so extensively advertised 
and sold throughout the country a few years 
since, was but a new and revised edition of the 
old-time black and tan, long eared, deep mouthed, 
long switch tail, smooth coated, Southern hound, 
with Detroit as a setting. They were evenly bal- 
anced, bred to a type, and were very pretty to 
look upon, being considered wonders by the old- 
time hunters not yet accustomed to the new type 
of the present day. In fact, I have heard them 




DAVID T. DANA. 

M. F. H. Berkshire Hunt, 
Massachusetts. 



History and Origin. 99 

more universally admired at bench shows than 
any hounds I have ever seen on exhibition. 

Frequently, while judging* hound classes at 
the larger shows, I have given the awards to 
hounds of the new type, more especially those 
handled by Ben Lewis, George Thomas, and other 
professional handlers, over the old-timers exhib- 
ited by their proud owners. I always realized that 
while not deserving it, I received their commis- 
eration for my ignorance of hounds ; in fact, they 
seldom failed to let me know it. I recall one 
show in particular where I withheld all awards in 
American hound classes with seven entries in the 
ring; the result was a pretty mess, and the man- 
agement, after unsuccessfully insisting upon my 
re judging the class and making awards, only sat- 
isfied them by dividing the money equally among 
the exhibitors. Upon my return home I sent one 
of their number a hound from my kennel, and in 
this manner only did I succeed in impressing upon 
them the true type of a modern, up-to-date hound. 

The "Arkansas Travelers," as the only sep- 
arate strain in that State is known, came from 
Missouri, as did the hounds in Louisiana. The 
Missouri hounds were originally pure-bred Ken- 
tucky hounds taken there by emigrants from the 
latter State. 

The original Pennsylvania hounds were of 
two general types and came from Maryland and 

L.0FC. 



ioo Horse and Hound. 

Virginia. One type, the long-legged, long-eared, 
black and tan, large hound, came from Virginia, 
and the other black and white, smaller and cleaner 
cut in appearance, and though shorter in leg, 
faster than the former, from Maryland. 

The present hound used by the hunt clubs is 
an English and Kentucky product, though occa- 
sionally the large, heavy, old-time black and tan 
is still to be found in certain sections, with hardly 
speed enough to keep his blood in circulation. 

There are many other strains of hounds 
throughout the country that have won both upon 
the bench and at field trials, such as the Good- 
man, Whitlock, Pooler, and my own strain — 
the Williams — but they are but descendants of 
the Robinson-Maupin-Walker strain, with but 
little, if any, crosses of outside blood in them. 





,>-" 






m.&--9^-J-^ :, '^^'--::--n-, : 3..^ j,e: : :.v,.y : .:^ .-.,•■,••.. ,-,•.:: - ^i'. =.,. ■ ■■ . 



FAG. 

Early cross Blood and Greyhound. 



100 



BREEDING AND RAISING HOUNDS 

The) English are without question the most 
successful breeders in the world, and with the 
exception of the horse they have probably paid 
more attention to the breeding of the foxhound 
than any other animal, and have certainly paid 
more attention to the breeding of the hound than 
all other nations combined. It is unfortunate for 
us, however, their country and method of hunting 
require an altogether different hound than is 
called for in this country. 

With them, a hound is condemned for faults 
of construction, size, and even markings before 
he has even had a trial in the field, and after a 
trial in the field the hounds are again culled, or 
"drafted," as they call it, for faults that may in- 
terfere with their usefulness (from their view- 
point) in the future. Unfortunately for the looks, 
symmetry, and conformation of our hounds, this 
custom does not prevail to any great extent in 
this country and should be judiciously encour- 
aged. I am afraid we have adapted the "hand- 
some is as handsome does" policy too freely. 

In the earlier history of hunting by hounds, 
they had but the two classes — the gaze hound, 

IOI 



102 Horse and Hound. 

one that ran by sight, represented by the grey- 
hound, and the sleuth, or slow trailing hound, rep- 
resented by the bloodhound. The latter was 
noted for the melody of his deep-toned tongue 
and his acute power of puzzling out and sticking 
to a cold trail, but he was too slow for the red 
whirlwind, though he could potter all day on the 
track of a stag and finally bring him to "pot." 

His cousin, the greyhound, had speed to burn, 
but in close cover and rough country he was all 
at sea, and once out of sight his quarry was safe, 
so it was the most natural thing in the world 
that the two should be crossed, and the result was 
the foxhound. 

The cut of Fag, taken from the Sporting 
Magazine, published in 1796, shows the type re- 
sulting from the cross in its earlier stages. 

The efficiency of hounds depends entirely 
upon the breeding, and to maintain a pack or 
strain up to the required standard of excellence, 
continual selection of superior animals is neces- 
sary. 

One of the soundest principles of breeding is 
that the longer certain desirable qualities have 
been handed down from generation to genera- 
tion, the more certain you can count upon a con- 
tinuance of the same. Heredity is undoubtedly 
the strongest force in nature, but it does not con- 
trol the individual peculiarities of a sire or dam, 
but where these characteristics have existed for 



Breeding and Raising Hounds. 103 

several generations we may expect many of them, 
and the further back they extend there will be a 
larger percentage, and they will also be more pro- 
nounced. 

The science of breeding is not by any means 
an accurate science, and Darwin, in the "Origin 
of Species," says : "The laws governing inherit- 
ance are for the most part unknown. No one can 
say why the same peculiarity in different indi- 
viduals of the same species is sometimes inherited 
and sometimes not." 

Inbreeding is a subject that has received more 
attention than any other one feature of breeding, 
affording constant matter for controversy. 

Stonehenge says inbreeding is not injurious to 
the dog, as has been proven both by theory and 
practice. On the other hand, Darwin says in- 
breeding diminishes vigor and fertility. 

Some claim that by inbreeding alone can one 
fix and perpetuate good qualities in succeeding 
generations. 

My experience is that inbreeding, when judi- 
ciously and not excessively practiced, is essential 
to type and many necessary qualities in the hound, 
but if carried to too great an extreme, it unques- 
tionably stunts growth and weakens both the con- 
stitution and the intelligence. I have had this 
more forcibly brought to my attention in the per- 
sonal breeding of bloodhounds and Irish wolf- 
hounds than in any other breed. 



104 Horse and Hound. 

The most glaring contradiction of this rule 
is in the case of game chickens, as those incestu- 
ously bred are gamer, stronger, and more ambi- 
tious than others. 

In inbreeding, the mating of sire and dam 
with daughter and son, is unquestionably prefer- 
able to mating brother and sister. 

Once crossing in and twice crossing out is an 
old rule and a most excellent one to observe in 
hound breeding; the antiquity of the hound with 
its long line of inbreeding make an absolute out- 
cross (such for instance as the greyhound), less 
dangerous than would be the case in many mod- 
ern breeds. 

The influence of such a cross on type would 
soon be entirely obliterated. 

No true type can be maintained by much out- 
cross breeding. True types have been made and 
maintained by strictly adhering to the best selec- 
tions of the same family, therefore rigidly adhere 
to one type, no matter how great the temptation 
may be to do otherwise, or the ultimate destruc- 
tion of type will follow. 

Due attention must be paid to the joint selec- 
tion of sire and dam, and the possibilities of a 
good cross or nick. If sire and dam have vigor, 
perfect health, and strength, it is fair to presume 
their offspring, with proper care and attention, 
will inherit these same qualities. 




Imported English Bloodhound. 



L04 



Breeding and Raising Hounds. 105 

There is absolutely no question about the fact 
of hounds inheriting qualities of hunting more 
from dam than sire, while the qualities of shape, 
size, and conformation come from the sire. 

Many breeders consider pedigree the only 
consideration, paying but little attention to indi- 
vidual excellence or qualities. This is a mistake. 
Symmetry is never the result of chance or luck, 
but of careful forethought and good judgment, 
backed up by a practical knowledge of breeding. 

I am a great believer in breeding to a type 
(provided you can combine field qualities at the 
same time). My success as a breeder of winners 
on the bench in foxhound classes is sufficient 
proof of this fact, as the records of the American 
Kennel Club will show that I have bred 30 per 
cent of all the champions of record. 

It is a gross mistake to breed good and bad 
specimens together simply on account of their 
pedigrees. The result is anything but certain, as 
the bad qualities are as apt to crop out in the 
progeny as the good, if not in the first, then in 
some succeeding generation. 

A hound with bad qualities is more apt to per- 
petuate them in his progeny than he is to throw 
back to better qualities possessed by his blue- 
blooded ancestors. Therefore, in breeding for 
any certain desirable quality, for instance color or 
tongue, do not fail to investigate fully all the 



106 Horse and Hound. 

other qualities, good, bad, and indifferent, pos- 
sessed by the sire, as with the desired qualities 
you may get some very undesirable ones. 

Hound bitches generally come in season when 
eight or nine months old, especially those reach- 
ing this age in the spring months. They should 
never be bred until the second heat, which in this 
case would be in the fall. It is too great a tax on 
the energies and system of the bitch, and the pups 
are apt to be weak and puny, and the strain may 
affect the constitution of the bitch through life. 
If one expects strong, vigorous pups with stamina 
and constitution when they attain maturity, they 
should never breed to a bitch under eighteen 
months or over six years of age. 

Bitches generally come in heat every six or 
eight months, and on an average three times in 
two years. They should be separated from the 
dog at the very first signs of heat, which are gen- 
erally excessive spirits and playfulness, undue 
levity upon the part of a quiet, sedate, old lady 
being an infallible sign. The next stage is the 
swelling of the parts followed by the discharge. 

If it is a strange bitch, allow her to become 
accustomed to her new surroundings before serv- 
ice. Do not keep her near dogs, remember their 
remarkable noses are doubly keen under such cir- 
cumstances. Take the greatest possible precau- 
tions to isolate her, then double your precautions. 
There is not only a chance of her getting out, but 




Greyhound. 



■ s 4> 



Breeding and Raising Hounds. 107 

a greater one of dogs getting in to her. I have 
known of some remarkable feats by both, and 
have heard of some even more incredible ones. 

It is neither necessary or wise to serve a bitch 
as soon as she is willing to accept service, one 
week from first appearance of discharge is the 
proper time, and two services, forty-eight hours 
apart, are as good as a half-dozen. 

The period of actual heat is about ten days, 
though often exceeded or decreased in duration. 
There is but little truth in the saying of nine days 
coming in and nine days going out. 

The average length of service is fifteen min- 
utes, and the dog should be instantly removed, 
never being left with bitch after service. 

If a bitch forms a mesalliance, a prompt in- 
jection of a weak solution of bichloride of mer- 
cury will have the desired effect. 

Never take a bitch's word for it that her heat 
has passed, but keep her close for several days 
after she has denied the soft impeachment. 

Occasionally bitches, though fully in heat, re- 
fuse to accept service; in a case of this kind she 
should be muzzled and forced to accept, only, 
however, in positive and unmistakable cases. 

Excessively fat bitches show impaired powers 
of reproduction; frequently fail to breed, or will 
have small litters with sickly and puny pups. 

The best conformation for a brood bitch is 
one with wide and strong loins and good length 



108 Horse and Hound. 

of flank. Too much exercise can not be given 
during this period and hunting should be kept 
up at least four weeks after service. 

After the fourth week regular yard or road 
exercise should be given, though care should be 
exercised to prevent colds. From now on one 
can not be too careful in administering strong 
purgative medicines or applying any soaps, 
washes, or remedies for mange, or vermin. 

The period of gestation is sixty-three days, 
and seldom varies except through accident. It is 
safe to count from the first service, if performed 
in the latter, rather than the first, period of the 
heat. 

The bitch will have a capricious appetite at 
the time and should be well supplied with a 
variety of food. 

A bitch's disposition changes very materially 
as parturition approaches, and the quietest, gen- 
tlest of them may become restless, nervous, and 
irritable. 

After seeing that each puppy has suckled once 
do not intrude upon her, let her alone, she under- 
stands the necessities of the situation much better 
than you. Feed soft foods for a few days, but 
do not worry about the amount she eats, nature 
has attended to that, but always have plenty of 
cool,, clean water within easy reach. 

Later on the enormous drain on her vitality 
can be met with generous and tempting food. 



Breeding and Raising Hounds. 109 

If one should die or be crushed, remove the 
body at the first opportunity, as her inclination 
and instinct to eat it may lead to the eating of all. 
This also frequently happens when they are 
moved from place to place or disturbed or inter- 
fered with. A bitch in good condition, getting 
plenty of food and exercise, can raise eight pup- 
pies, though I had a bitch raise fifteen of her 
own whelping. 

If a foster mother is considered desirable, 
make the exchange gradually, one or two at a 
time, removing one of the foster mother's pups 
every time you add a strange one, and rub some 
of the foster mother's milk over the added pup. 

Their eyes will open in nine days and from 
three to four weeks old they will lap milk or soup ; 
the former should always be boiled, thinned with 
water, and a little sugar added. Later bread 
crumbs and well-boiled meat may also be added. 

They should be given a simple remedy for 
worms at five to six weeks of age, as all pups, no 
matter how or where raised, are troubled with 
these pests of puppyhood. 

Puppies kept clean and dry more frequently 
escape the terrible ravages of distemper than 
others. Feed them three or four times daily until 
six months of age, when once daily (preferably 
at night) will suffice. 

Avoid giving medicine as much as possible; 
more hounds die from the improper and excess- 



1 1 o Horse and Hound, 

ive use of medicine than from the want of it. 
Give them access to grass land and they will find 
their own remedies. 

Never attempt to raise hound pups in a ken- 
nel; a kennel-raised pup is absolutely worthless. 
Adopt the English custom of farming them out, 
or as they express it, "put them out to walk." 

Unless the party taking them has had expe- 
rience in raising pups, it is safest to give them 
written instructions, especially as to feed, ver- 
min, worms, and distemper. 



TRAINING HOUNDS. 

As proficiency in other arts is only attained 
by close application, hard study, and constant 
practice, so the art — for surely it is an art — of 
breaking and training a foxhound requires not 
only these but a large fund of love for and mutual 
bond of sympathy and understanding between 
man and hound. The trainer having the requisite 
keenness and perseverance, combined with kind- 
ness and quick observance of the nature and dis- 
position of hounds, can produce surprising re- 
sults. 

The well-known weakness and propensity of 
a hound pup for appropriation and theft is well 
known to all, and is a constant source of trouble 
between him and the party to whom you have 
consigned him during his puppyhood, and the 
consequence is that he receives more kicks and 
cuffs than kind words, and when sent in to be 
entered to fox, he considers man as an instru- 
ment of torture rather than as a friend. 

Hounds, if properly treated, are really capa- 
ble of great attachment, seldom appreciated by 
man; most dog fanciers wasting their affection 



1 1 2 Horse and Hound. 

upon other breeds on account of their handsomer 
and showier appearance. 

Therefore, the first thing is to gain a hound's 
confidence and never abuse it. I do not mean 
make a pet of him, far from it, for pets are al- 
ways upon a familiar footing, and "familiarity 
breeds contempt." 

It is taken for granted that your hounds are 
pure blooded and naturally inherit the instinct of 
hunting. The chances are that this instinct has 
already led them to hunt rabbits upon the farm 
where raised, if so, they should be broken of this 
at once. One or two good floggings adminis- 
tered while caught in the act will suffice. 

In breaking puppies it is absolutely necessary 
to have an old, tried, and true, steady-to-work 
hound, one that can not be persuaded to run a 
rabbit ; in fact, one that both you and the puppies 
can rely upon to cry nothing but a fox track. Bad 
habits, such as rabbitting, babbling, back track- 
ing, and similar habits acquired at this stage are 
hard to eradicate and may affect the whole after 
life of a hound. 

If gray foxes, or cubs, can be found, it is 
better to commence work upon them, as an old 
red is discouraging to a young hound and be- 
sides he will take the old hound away from the 
pups and they can not see how a loss is taken off 
or assist in recovering the line. It is a most 



Training Hounds. 1 1 3 

serious mistake to allow pups or young hounds to 
follow a drag, whether it be a carcass or anise- 
seed drag, unless, of course, they are being 
trained for drag hunting. 

Never hurry or rush young hounds, allow 
them to take their time in hunting out a cold or 
puzzling trail. There is less danger of their be- 
coming "potterers" than of becoming "rioters." 
I have noticed that riotous, troublesome young 
hounds generally make the best ones in the long 
run. 

Use your voice sparingly, and when a check is 
made never go ahead and attempt to lay them on 
the line, if they can not "own it" by casting, it 
is better to take them back a piece rather than 
to push them forward, and never allow them to 
give up as long as one of them can speak the line, 
and never, never, leave them in the field, no mat- 
ter how cold, hungry, tired, or wet you may be. 
Let them learn to rely upon you, if left once or 
twice they become restless when out of your 
sight, and will always be on the lookout for you 
rather than for game. 

While one should do everything possible to 
encourage a young hound, they should never be 
interfered with while hunting, and the horn 
should be used very sparingly, as should the whip. 
Occasionally highly nervous or excitable pups 
need restraint or correction, but the voice, if prop- 
8 



1 1 4 Horse and Hound. 

erly modulated, will generally have the desired 
effect. Hounds will not readily forget or forgive 
an unjust blow or lick. 

The worst habit a hound can acquire is sheep 
killing, once acquired no earthly power can break 
them of it. Young hounds should be coupled and 
frequently taken through sheep pastures, and if 
one shows any disposition to run or attack a 
sheep, ride him down, whip him thoroughly, and 
give him the impression that you intend to kill 
him then and there. Should he persist after sev- 
eral whippings, tie him with a short rope to a 
vicious old ram who will take pleasure in crack- 
ing a few ribs for him, and he will forever more 
lose his appetite for mutton. 

If once engaged in a sheep-killing scrape, it 
is too late to attempt any cure ; either present him 
to a friend who does not live in a sheep country 
or present the hound with an ounce of lead. Once 
a sheep-killer they become very cunning and may 
behave themselves for months in day hunting, 
only to renew their murderous depredations at 
night. 

A hound's education is sadly neglected if he 
is not thoroughly broken to both horn and horse 
as well as to "homing." Instinct or second nature 
makes the latter an easy job. 

The hound is gregarious by nature, preferring 
to hunt in packs, but the undeviating persever- 



Training Hounds. 115 

ance and high courage of the American hound 
makes it much easier to train him to hunt alone 
than is possible with the English hound, whose 
training is generally collectively in a pack rather 
than individually. The English hounds seem 
more susceptible to training or handling, as is 
evidenced by their behavior and good manners in 
the kennels and en route to and from covert. I 
recall having seen a large pack of hounds handled 
in a theater in London, taking a trail through the 
lobby, down the aisle — lined on either side with 
a screaming, yelling audience — through a pool of 
water and out the exit. I ascertained these to be 
a regularly hunted pack of hounds. While much 
credit for this was undoubtedly due the handler, 
I am sure no handler could so train a pack of 
American hounds. 

It is a good idea to hunt young hounds with 
light leather collars with you name plate on them ; 
older hounds can be branded with any letter you 
may select, which will generally identify them, 
should any dispute arise as to their ownership. 

Some hounds have a predilection for running 
a dog's track. This is almost as bad a habit as 
the mutton habit, and calls for as equally prompt, 
heroic, and energetic treatment. 

Some hounds are extremely fond of the di- 
version to be found in rabbit-hunting, and are in- 
defatigable in pursuit of it. If there are so in- 



1 1 6 Horse and Hound. 

corrigible that you can not break them of the 
habit, dispose of them, remembering that "Evil 
communications corrupt good manners." 

Hounds while in training should be fed light 
and drawn fine the day they are expected to hunt ; 
the venerable delusion that meat food affects the 
scenting powers of a hound has long since been 
exploded, but any animal's faculties are impaired 
by an overloaded stomach, but it is owing more 
to quantity than quality of food. A hound di- 
gests its food slowly, and to carry a stomach full 
of undigested food for hours with the body over- 
heated, will cause diarrhea. Unlike man, diges- 
tion in a hound ceases while taking violent exer- 
cise. This fact has been practically demonstrated 
— two hounds were fed at the same time, one was 
then immediately put into a chase lasting several 
hours, the other was chained up in his kennel. 
They were both given emetics, and it was found 
that the food of the running hound was in the 
same condition as when eaten, while the kenneled 
hound had digested his food. 

A hound requires more exercise than any 
other breed of dogs to keep them in a perfect de- 
gree of physical development, and if they can not 
be hunted regularly, should be allowed to follow 
a horse several miles a day. 

If you overfeed a hound he will surely become 
fat and lazy, and it is doubtful if you can get 
work enough out of him to maintain a standard 



Training Hounds. 1 1 7 

of health and muscular development necessary to 
keep him full of fox fire and ambition. 

A too sudden reduction in flesh from under- 
feeding may injure his vitality and impair his 
constitution, surplus flesh should be worked off 
by degrees. Feet and pads should be hardened in 
the same way — by degrees. 

Babbling, running mute, and "cutting" or 
running cunning, are unquestionably hereditary 
qualities, and in breeding great care should be 
exercised to see that these defects are not com- 
bined, as they will but be accentuated in the off- 
spring. 

Hounds should be broken to sights of city or 
village, accustomed to roading in "couples," and 
their minds disabused of the idea that they must 
make the acquaintance of every cur of high and 
low degree they meet on the road. 

If possible, hounds should not be kenneled, 
but allowed to run at large ; this, of course, is im- 
possible in many localities. In the South on 
large plantations they are seldom kenneled, with 
the result that their noses are moister and colder, 
as can be demonstrated by placing the back of 
the hand against the same. This means increased 
power of scent, a hound's nose being a true index 
to its condition, and as trailing qualities depend 
exclusively upon a sensitive nose, the importance 
of keeping this organ in condition can not be 
overestimated. 



1 1 8 Horse and Hound. 

Manners in the kennel should receive almost 
as much attention as manners in the field. Every 
hound should have a name, preferably a short 
one, and should early be accustomed to its use. 

The cruel practice of chaining or clogging a 
hound should never be allowed ; it has a tendency 
to make a hound unhealthy, unhappy, and in the 
long run vicious. If in particular cases it can 
not be dispensed with, dispose of the hound. 




118 



Plan of Kennels. 



KENNELS. 

The question of kennels is a more important 
one than is generally supposed, and the venerable 
saying "anything is good enough for a dog," 
should be replaced by "nothing is too good for a 
dog." 

While it is unnecessary to invest large sums 
of money in kennels to insure comfort and health 
for the occupants, one should not go the other 
extreme of overcrowding hounds in unfitting 
quarters. Cramped quarters and foul surround- 
ings will do more to unfit hounds for field work 
than can be counteracted by all the skill of com- 
petent trainers and handlers. 

Supervise your kennels yourself if you want it 
well done, if you want it half done, relegate it 
to the best possible man you can employ, irre- 
spective of cost. 

The following plans not only insure an inex- 
pensive kennel, but also one best adapted for the 
hound's welfare, both in and out of season. If 
it is desired one can substitute brick and stone for 
the wooden structure, but the only advantage it 
will possess will be in looks and durability. 

The first and most important consideration 
119 



120 Horse and Hound. 

should be the location. Where possible it should 
be high and gently sloping in every direction, so 
that during the rainy season, pools and puddles 
can not form in the yards or runs, and in a down- 
pour the ground can be washed and the surface 
water drained off promptly — the soil should be 
dry and light, and free from clay. 

The plans illustrated provide kennels and 
grounds for twenty couples, the size of the runs, 
yards, and grounds can be regulated by the 
amount of land at one's disposal, the larger in 
area the better. The minimum should be one 
acre. The outer fencing should be of nine-inch 
cedar posts, set three feet in the ground. A 
trench two feet deep should then be dug, and a 
twenty-four-inch heavy two-inch mesh galvan- 
ized wire netting stretched from post to post be- 
neath the surface. Fill the trench, tamping the 
dirt compactly. This will insure against any 
hounds digging out. 

Three inch strips, eight feet long, of rough 
oak fencing, securely nailed on the outside of 
the stringers, with two-inch spaces between, will 
forever prevent scaling or gnawing out. Should 
any portion of the outside fence lie upon or near 
a public passway, it should be boarded up solid 
with ordinary fencing plank, care being taken to 
stop up all cracks or knot-holes, all such being a 
fruitful source of noise in a kennel. The same 
instructions should be observed in erecting the 



Kennels. 1 2 1 

division fences on the pack side of the kennels, 
except that the three-inch strips need only be 
five feet long, placed three inches apart, with a 
two-foot galvanized wire netting stretched along 
the top as well as beneath the surface. This will 
allow more sunlight and breeze. The division 
fences on the breeding, hospital, and puppy sides 
should all have solid fences four feet high with 
three-foot wire netting along the top, and two- 
foot wire in the trenches. Gateways throughout 
should have automatic catches in addition to a 
simple slide bar on each, and should be wide 
enough to admit a wheelbarrow. 

The dimensions given on the plan of kennels 
are the minimum and can be increased as desired, 
but should never be diminished. The foundation 
should be of brick and the floor at least thirty 
inches from the ground. The space beneath the 
floor can be partitioned off with plank the same 
as the floor plan, with a ten by twenty slide door, 
opening into each yard or run. A piece of carpet 
hanging over this opening, will admit the hounds, 
yet darken the place sufficiently to keep out the 
flies and heat. A twenty-four by twenty-four trap 
door on hinges should be placed in the floor of 
each compartment. This makes an admirable re- 
treat for the hounds from the heat and flies, the 
latter being the curse of all kenneled hounds. 

A light bed of pine shavings on the bare 
ground under the floor, with an occasional sprink- 



122 Horse and Hound. 

ling of turpentine, will keep all flies and vermin 
away, and should not be overlooked, else the en- 
tire kennels will become infested with these pests. 

The flooring should be double, with a layer of 
good roofing paper between, the top floor being 
matched. Brick or asphalt floors should never 
be used; concrete is the best of such floors, but 
do not advise its use. It is more or less conducive 
to kennel lameness, which is simply a form of 
rheumatism. In mild climates the siding may 
be of boxing, well stripped, but in colder climates 
it. should be plastered, or have the addition of a 
good building paper, or better still, some of the 
many eel grass papers that are both germ, fire, 
and weather proof. The roof should be covered 
with eel grass paper on the sheathing, then 
shingled. Under no circumstances should a metal 
roof be used. They are cold in winter, and in- 
tensely hot in summer, and have nothing but their 
price to recommend them. 

Each compartment should have a narrow door 
with latch on the outside, a sliding door twelve by 
eighteen, six inches from the floor, a sliding win- 
dow and wire screen opening into the rear com- 
partments, placed six feet from the floor; an ad- 
justable ventilator arranged to throw the draft 
against the ceiling when open. 

A portable sleeping bench, with twelve-inch 
solid back and four-inch rail around sides and 
front, with short legs six inches high which will 






« 




■'^%& .. 




R. E. LEE. 
Alabama. 



Kennels. 123 

prevent crawling underneath. This style bench 
can be taken out, scrubbed, dried, and ventilated, 
a most important consideration. 

The cook room should have a small, upright, 
single flue, four-horse-power boiler for generat- 
ing steam, connected to a steam jacketed kettle 
holding sixty gallons. This is a far better way 
of cooking food that the direct-fire furnaces and 
kettle, the food can not be scorched, and can be 
more thoroughly, evenly, and quickly cooked. 

Many think that any kind of food is good 
enough for a hound; such men should never be 
blessed with the ownership of a hound. Nothing 
is too good for a hound, either in food, quarters, 
or treatment. A change of food is the founda- 
tion of health in hounds, and the sooner this fact 
is recognized by all successful managers of 
hounds, the better. 

I have owned a pack of hounds for a quarter 
of a century and have yet to feed them the car- 
cass of any animal. In winter they are fed one- 
third cornmeal (unbolted), one-third hog crack- 
lings, and one-third wheat bran. These are first 
thoroughly boiled in a steam kettle, then baked 
hard and brown in a regular brick oven. In sum- 
mer the cornmeal is too heating, and has a tend- 
ency to cause mange, blotch, and eczema, and 
oatmeal is substituted for the cornmeal, with a 
few tablespoonsful of hyposulphite of soda added 
for every fifteen couples. The food is baked as 



124 Horse and Hound. 

hard as possible, thus forcing them to chew it up, 
thereby causing a flow from the salivary glands 
which aids digestion. 

The constant feeding of soft, sloppy, starchy 
foods, while fattening, leaves the hounds soft and 
flabby, and has a tendency to produce eczema and 
aggravate mange. By baking hard and brown, 
the hound can not bolt it, requiring crunching and 
necessarily better mastication. It also keeps the 
teeth clean and firm, a soft food-fed hound of two 
years frequently having the mouth and teeth of 
a four or five year old hound. 

The storeroom can be used for storage of 
raw and cooked food, straw, brooms, mops, 
shovels, etc., and should have a good-sized closet 
for the kennelman's individual use, as well as a 
well-arranged medicine chest. 

All four sides of the kennel should have a 
covered porch from four to six feet wide, upon 
which should be located the gates connecting the 
different yards, and upon which the hounds could 
lie during wet and rainy weather. 

If the weather is cold enough to require heat- 
ing the kennels, which is seldom, if ever, the case, 
a coil of steam pipe can be run through the com- 
partments, connected to and returning the con- 
densation to the boiler. Individual whelping 
boxes should be placed in the breeding yard. 
They should be thirty inches high at back, and 
forty-two inches in front, forty-eight by forty- 



Kennels, 1 25 

eight in the clear, roof covered with water-proof 
paper, and hinged so as to lift entire roof easily, 
the hinges being in front. 

The opening in front, at either side, should 
be small, ten by eighteen, and closed by hanging 
carpet, ventilation being secured by raising the 
hinged roof the desired height from the floor. 

A shelf six inches wide, four inches from the 
floor, should extend all around four sides, thus 
preventing lying upon the pups when young, or 
crowding them into a corner, a practice very 
common with hound bitches, and the means of 
killing a large percentage of pups. These whelp- 
ing boxes should be made portable and raised six 
inches from the ground upon strong legs. The 
boxes should be placed far apart, and at some dis- 
tance from the kennels. Straw is the best bed- 
ding, and should be renewed as soon as sure the 
bitch is through whelping. 

A bitch that is known to be rough and care- 
less towards her pups should not be given a 
whelping box. A small house with a dry dirt 
floor is best. In this, hollow out a nest several 
days in advance that she may become accustomed 
to it. 

The circular form of nest will prevent her 
lying or stepping upon the pups as they will al- 
ways gravitate toward the center. The antiseptic 
qualities of the dry earth are too well known to 
need comment. 



126 Horse and Hound. 

Boxes, similar to the whelping boxes, minus 
the shelf, can be used to great advantage in the 
puppy yard, and should be whitewashed inside 
and out every fortnight — the wash containing a 
powerful disinfectant. Urinal posts of four by 
four oak, set at intervals about the yards will be 
patronized to the extent of saving the white- 
washed fences. The habit can be cultivated by 
placing a few drops of oil of anise seed occa- 
sionally upon the posts. 

It is an excellent idea to have a hay rick frame 
containing straw placed in the larger yards. The 
hounds will enjoy it thoroughly if placed at a 
height they can jump upon and romp about on. 
On cold days they will lie upon it sunning them- 
selves, and in the hot weather will seek its shade. 
The straw will have to be renewed but seldom. 

If in a warm climate a trench three feet wide, 
two feet deep, and ten feet long, boarded over, 
covered with dirt and left open at one end, will 
be much patronized and appreciated by hounds in 
the summer months. They should be closed in 
winter. 

Theoretical hunters and breeders may smile 
at the crudeness of the trench and straw-rick ar- 
rangements for the pleasure and comfort of the 
hounds, but if they will try them they will read- 
ily see the advantages they possess. 

Frequently a hound will be found in a kennel, 
that can not, through temper or other bad habits, 




it* ?«■ 










MIDDLETON O'MALLEY KNOTT. 

M. F. H. Watchung Hunt Club. 
New Jersey. 



Kennels. 127 

be allowed the liberty of the yards. Such hounds 
should never be chained, a wire stretched from 
posts, say a hundred feet apart, with ring and 
chain suspended from same, can be utilized. A 
small sleeping box can be arranged at the end of 
the run. 

In summer and warm weather no bedding is 
necessary, but in winter a liberal supply of straw 
should be furnished and changed twice a week. 
Neither shavings nor sawdust should be used, both 
being bad for the throat and lungs. 

The strictest attention to cleanliness and sani- 
tary conditions in a kennel alone will insure 
sound healthy animals, capable of sustaining the 
hard work hounds are called upon to perform 
during the hunting season. No matter how much 
confidence one has in the ability and faithfulness 
of an attendant, constant vigilance should never 
be relaxed by the master, in supervising these 
details. 

The constant use of powerful disinfectants is 
highly necessary in every kennel. Solutions of 
carbolic acid, bichloride of mercury, sulphate of 
copper, or chloride of lime can be had of any 
druggist ; and walls, floors, and fencing should be 
sprayed or sprinkled twice a month in summer, 
and once a month in winter. Many disinfecting 
preparations on the market, are equally as effect- 
ive, and more convenient, on account of manner 
in which they are put up. 



i2§ Horse and Hound. 

If the yards and runs are small and over- 
crowded, twice a year the yards should be well 
sprinkled with lime and plowed up or spaded over, 
and where possible, covered to the depth of two 
inches with fresh earth or soil. Neglect of this 
precaution will cause sore and tender feet, and a 
master or huntsman well knows what this afflic- 
tion means in a pack. 

Where practicable, running water should be 
had in every yard, unfortunately, this is seldom 
the case. A most excellent water trough can be 
made from galvanized iron range boilers, by cut- 
tink a four by ten hole along the side, and bury- 
ing the boiler upon its side, allowing the hole to 
be flush with the surface of the ground. It can 
be filled either by hand or pipe connection. It 
will hold about thirty gallons of water, and the 
earth will keep it at a proper temperature, and the 
small opening will prevent the hounds from soil- 
ing the water. By placing half of the boiler in 
either yard beneath the division fence and mak- 
ing an opening upon each side of the fence, the 
one trough will serve for both yards. 

Bins or boxes should be placed in each yard 
to receive the manure which should be collected 
daily. It is not generally known that this is a 
salable commodity, and when properly collected 
and disposed of to leather-dressers will almost 
pay the feed bill of the hounds. I have always 
found it a most excellent plan to make this one 
of the perquisites of the attendant, thus insur- 



Kennels. 129 

ing cleaner yards than could be had under the or- 
dinary conditions of having it hauled away. 

Hounds should seldom, except in the most in- 
clement weather, be allowed to occupy their sleep- 
ing quarters during the day, the doors remaining 
closed until sundown. 

Kennel-kept hounds have none of the pleas- 
ures and liberties of ordinary dogs, and the oc- 
casional change from one yard to another will do 
them good and relieve the monotony of kennel 
life to some extent. 

Kenneled hounds can never get too much ex- 
ercise, either during or out of season, no amount 
of feeding and attention can adequately supply 
the want of unlimited exercise. 

Regularity and system should prevail in the 
conduct of the kennel, having certain stated hours 
for feeding, exercise, and grooming. 

Hydrophobia is generally supposed to affect 
hounds more frequently than any other breed; 
this is not a fact. Hydrophobia is extremely rare 
in any breed, in fact reputable writers declare 
there is no such disease, claiming it to be one of 
imagination only. Occasionally a case may oc- 
cur in a hound, which will communicate it to a 
whole pack, all of whom may have to be de- 
stroyed, whereas a dog of another breed having it 
would be detected and destroyed before he would 
have an opportunity of communicating it to but 
few others. 
9 



130 Ho7'se and Hound. 

When hounds do have hydrophobia it is most 
frequently in the form of dumb rabies and not 
the violent maniacal form that causes them to 
"run amuck." Ashmout says : 

"The dumb, or sullen form of rabies is a 
peculiar type of hydrophobia without the violent 
or irritative stage. There is decidedly less ex- 
citation of the brain; the violent paroxysms, the 
constant motion, the disposition to bite, and the 
propensity to stray are all absent, or present in 
only a slight degree, and the animal is quiet, 
silent, and dejected. Paralysis of the muscles of 
the lower jaw is a characteristic symptom of this 
form of the malady, and manifests itself early in 
the attack. The jaw drops and the mouth re- 
mains constantly open. In rare cases a partial 
control of the muscles is retained for a time, suffi- 
cient to lift the jaw, and possibly allow the ani- 
mal to bite if sufficiently irritated. Rarely more 
than a few hours, possibly three or four, elapse 
before the disease manifests itself. Before this 
paralysis appears there is great difficulty in swal- 
lowing, and the poor dog will plunge his muzzle 
into water up to his very eyes, in order that he 
may get one drop of water into the back part of 
his mouth to cool his parched throat. In this form 
of rabies the flow of mucus and saliva is abundant, 
the same dripping from the open mouth. The 
voice, changed and of a hoarse tone, is seldom 
heard, and that peculiar combination of bark and 



Kennels. 131 

howl, characteristic of the violent form of the dis- 
ease is entirely absent." 

I give this description of dumb rabies in full 
to enable the reader to detect the difference be- 
tween it and a peculiar disease that hounds, espe- 
cially in the South, are frequently afflicted with. 
Though I have read all the best works on the dis- 
eases of the dog, published both in this country 
and in England, I have never seen it mentioned. 
It does not seem to have come under the obser- 
vation of canine specialists. It is called "black 
tongue," is generally fatal, and is contagious. 
The symptoms are almost identical with those of 
dumb rabies, with the exception that the tongue 
turns black and the mucous membrane linings of 
the throat are sore and inflamed. It is only re- 
cently that a remedy has been found, all cases 
formerly resisting treatment and proving fatal. 
I have known whole packs to be killed with it. 

The remedy and treatment is as follows : 
Paint the inside of the lips and tongue with tinc- 
ture of bloodroot once a day, and give a tablet 
of one-fiftieth of a grain of bichloride of mer- 
cury three times a day. Keep the hound on a 
milk diet until cured, and on soft foods for some 
time, gradually returning to solids. If hound will 
not drink milk freely, add a little brandy and 
beaten eggs to milk, and pour a few spoonsful 
down the throat every few r hours. 

I have yet to see the attendant who could 



132 Horse and Hound. 

keep his kenneled pack free of mange and ver- 
min, without dipping. Where a pack consists of 
twenty or thirty couples, dipping, unless one is 
prepared for it, is quite an undertaking. The 
simplest apparatus to be used effectively, is made 
as follows : Construct a galvanized iron tank 
forty-two inches long, fifteen inches wide, and 
twenty-eight inches deep. Make a light slatted 
crate thirty-eight inches long, twelve inches wide, 
and twenty-six inches deep at one end and fifteen 
inches deep at the other, with a slatted top fitted 
with hinges, each end being solid. Fasten hinges 
at the lower end ; at the upper end saw out a half 
round hole five inches in diameter, through which 
the hound can stick his head, while in a seated 
position. 

Fill the tank twenty inches deep with a solu- 
tion of fifty parts tepid water to one part sheep 
dip, sanitas, phenyle, chloro-naptholeum, West's, 
or any of the many disinfecting fluids — not con- 
taining carbolic acid — which are commonly ad- 
vertised. After placing hound securely in crate, 
immerse him, all but head, for two minutes, being 
careful of eyes. Twenty couples can thus be 
dipped in a comparativly short time, without any 
struggling, splashing, or confusion. Dip them 
every fortnight and your pack will always be 
clear of mange, skin diseases, and vermin. 

Every hound should be carefully examined 
daily, by the hand as well as by the eye. The 



Kennels. 133 

general condition of the body can be noted at a 
glance by one accustomed to it, but many minor 
troubles can be brought to sight by the hand. 
After each run, a careful examination should be 
made of every hound participating in the run. 
Holding hound with one hand by the muzzle, ex- 
amine eyes, feel ears, place back of hand to nose, 
run the hand down each leg, squeezing the foot, 
and examining pads and stoppers. Remove 
thorns or foreign substances which are likely to 
set up inflammation, and incapacitate hound from 
next hunt. Look for barb wire cuts, wood ticks, 
burs, and feel texture of coat and general condi- 
tion of body. 

In handling strange hounds, attract their at- 
tention, and look them straight in the eye. When 
irritated or angry, the pupil invariably dilates. 
Advance the back of the hand and let the hound 
smell of it before taking hold of him; do not 
either withdraw the hand or take hold of him 
suddenly. If he has a vicious or surly disposi- 
tion, remember kindness and consideration, by 
appealing to his sympathetic nature, will accom- 
plish more than force. 

If necessary to mark hounds for purposes of 
identification, I consider the best plan is to brand 
them. This should be done on the foreshoulder, 
the brand made of quarter-inch iron, the brand- 
ing surface dressed down to one-eighth. The 
letters should be two and a quarter inches long 



134 Horse and Hound. 

of corresponding width. The following letters 
make the plainest brand, XVUTOHJES, 
and should be formed perfectly plain. It requires 
three persons to do the work quickly and cor- 
rectly, one to hold the head and fore legs, and 
one the hind quarters and body. Care should be 
taken not to draw the skin from its natural place. 
It is best to first remove the hair with shears. 
The third person handles the iron, which should 
be heated to a cherry red, and pressed until the 
flesh is scorched, the hound being released im- 
mediately. 

There is no danger of his biting any one after 
the brand has been applied. He will howl a few 
times, but the pain will be over in a few minutes. 
The place should be greased or oiled daily until 
well. Should the burn be too deep and fester, it 
should be washed with a soft sponge, removing 
the scab and applying carbolic vaseline. There is 
less cruelty in the operation than one would sup- 
pose, much less than in rounding the ears, or 
docking the tail. 

If one's hounds are well known in the com- 
munity, and good homers, it may not be neces- 
sary to brand them. When hunting with the pack 
in a strange country, they may be temporarily 
marked upon the sides with paint or dye, as in 
field trials. 

Occasionally a hound will be found that no 
amount of treatment, exercise, or food will put 




L 



COL. EDWARD MORRELL. 

M. F. H. Rose Tree Hunt Club. 

Pennsylvania. 



-■'A 



Kennels. 135 

in good condition. If demonstrated by treatment 
that he is not suffering from tapeworm, he 
should be farmed out, sent to the country, where 
he may roam at will. A few weeks' recreation 
will make a new hound of him. If such is not the 
result, dispose of him. 

Preparing a hound for the bench show re- 
quires a lot of work and patience. It also re- 
quires a subject with good amiable disposition 
that does not object to handling. The points for 
judging a hound, given elsewhere, should be 
carefully studied before making selection from 
the pack. He should be well and carefully broken 
to the chain and collar, to lead lightly, and carry 
a gay stern, to stand in any position his legs may 
be placed, and to trot after his leader. While 
his exercise should not be cut down, he should 
be given more flesh than when in running condi- 
tion, yet at the same time, his muscles should be 
just as hard and firm. This can be accomplished 
by feeding lean meats, eggs, and milk, and by a 
prodigious amount of hand and brush rubbing, or 
massage. He should be accustomed to strangers 
and strange sights, and by the time you have him 
in condition to win, you will doubtless have 
ruined a good hound for field work. 

Individual hounds should be taken or sent to 
a bench show in a crate. This should have solid 
bottoms and ends, with hinged door. The sides and 
top should be slatted with good spaces between, 



136 Horse and Hound. 

as many dogs en route to the shows are annually 
smothered in hot express cars by having mer- 
chandise thrown upon and around the crate. The 
sides should be solid for a space of six inches at 
the bottom to prevent the straw from falling out. 

Never send hounds to a show without a hand- 
ler. The fair promises of the management to 
have your entries properly cared for, and exhib- 
ited, are forgotten as soon as the many duties of 
the show devolve upon them, and they are lucky 
indeed if taken from the bench, except while in 
the show ring. 

Unless preparing for bench shows, hounds 
should seldom, if ever, have a washing with soap, 
and then only in tepid, never in warm, water. A 
warm bath has sealed the doom of many a good 
hound. The ears should be washed as should 
their feet, but elbow grease and a brush for the 
body, will do more good than all the soaps and 
water combined. In hot climates like Cuba and 
the South, a good drenching about noon with the 
hose will do them good, though adding nothing 
to their appearance, for they are sure to wallow 
in the dirt immediately afterward. 

Hounds being kept in large numbers together 
are naturally greater sufferers from contagious 
diseases than other breeds of dogs, and mange is 
the curse of the majority of the packs. While 
true that mange is dependent upon contagion, 
there are several forms of this loathsome disease 



Kennels. 137 

that arise from the keep, lack of exercise, im- 
proper food, and bedding. 

Most of the patent preparations advertised 
will effect a cure, whether of sarcoptic or follicu- 
lar form, but they are generally expensive and 
hard to apply. The following remedy is a cer- 
tain cure, can be prepared by any attendant, and 
is inexpensive : One pound of slaked lime to two 
ounces of powdered sulphur in two gallons of 
water, boil down to one gallon, add enough water 
to this liquid to make five quarts, and rub the 
hound thoroughly with it twice, three days apart. 
If the case has advanced to the stage of a con- 
siderable loss of hair, also apply a dressing of fish 
oil and sulphur twice, three days apart, and the 
coat will be restored. A majority of the cases of 
mange can be cured with sulphur and fish oil 
alone, and should be tried before using the 
harsher remedies. 

This may seem a rather simple treatment for 
a disease which canine pathologists and veteri- 
narians exhaust volumes upon, but it is based 
entirely upon practice and not theory, and fully 
covers the subject as a trial will demonstrate. 

Eczema — frequently mistaken for mange — is 
however, entirely different from mange, and can 
only be cured by constitutional treatment requir- 
ing time and patience. For several years my dif- 
ferent kennelmen were constantly treating the 
hounds for mange, and only after employing the 



138 Horse and Hound. 

best veterinary talent, did I discover the trouble 
was eczema. It is non-contagious, is an indi- 
vidual disease, and is never transmitted. It is 
caused by lack of exercise, constipation, overfeed- 
ing, injurious foods, and indigestion, few packs 
being exempt from it. 

In a majority of cases of eczema in hounds it 
is caused from the continued use of starchy foods, 
while mange is aggravated by feeding too much 
flesh. Therefore, in either case, the first step is 
to change the food. If this can not be accom-- 
plished, add ten grains of hyposulphite of soda 
for each hound in the kennel, in cooking the food, 
elsewhere advocated. If for individual cases, 
Fowler's solution of arsenic will effect a cure, by 
giving six drops, twice a day, increasing the dose 
two drops daily until thirty drops are being given, 
then decrease the dose in same manner down to 
the original dose of six drops. The irritating 
ointments and mange cures should be avoided, 
entirely, being worse than useless. The following 
lotion is both cooling and healing, and should be 
applied twice daily: To the sore and inflamed 
parts, four drams Goulard's Extract Lead and 
four drams Laudanum to a pint of water. 

The earliest symptom of eczema is an itch- 
ing, the hound scratching himself upon every 
possible occasion. Upon examination a redness 
and thickness of the skin will be noticed, no sores 
are visible as in mange. The second stage can 




W. J. MORTON. 

Texas. 



Kennels. 1 39 

not be mistaken. Small vesicles form, filled with 
pus, which, on breaking out, mat the hairs to- 
gether, causing it to fall out and leave a spot with 
a wet, inflamed, exuding surface. 

As compared with mange, eczema is a stub- 
born disease, hard to cure, and should never be 
neglected, but treated in its first stage. If unable 
to diagnose the two a powerful microscope will 
soon set your doubts at rest, as the parasite al- 
ways present in mange does not appear in 
eczema. 

Vermin often are very troublesome to hounds 
and whole packs of hounds are made miserable 
by the presence of these pests, through the ig- 
norance of the attendant in not knowing how to 
dispose of them. There is absolutely no excuse 
for this, the dipping of hounds, recommended, 
will kill all upon their bodies, and if the floors and 
walls of the kennels are sprinkled with a little 
turpentine, or what is left of the dip, it will be 
found sufficiently potent to exterminate or drive 
them away, and a flea will never be found on the 
premises. 

In cold weather, when not convenient to dip 
and to sprinkle the kennels, spirits of turpentine 
freely sprinkled around the kennels, and a little 
dry powdered camphor rubbed well into the coats 
of the hounds, will eradicate the nuisance. 

Medicine should be administered with great 
caution, and used sparingly. 



140 Horse and Hound. 

Dogs are subject to almost every disease the 
human system is heir to. Hounds, from the 
amount of exercise they get, and their regular 
and simple habits, are immune from many of 
them, being singularly free from those of a cere- 
bral and spinal character, so common in other 
breeds, the most common hound ailment being 
distemper and skin diseases. 

Sore and tender feet are as great a source of 
annoyance to the master, as they are painful to 
the dog. It is astonishing how quickly a kenneled 
hound will acquire them when not regularly ex- 
ercised. Bathing them in a solution of white 
oak bark or painting the pads with a solution of 
sulphate of copper will strengthen and indurate 
the pads and stoppers. When neglected too long 
they become sore, inflamed, and extremely sensi- 
tive around the roots of the nails. An applica- 
tion three times daily of two drams Ext. Lead, 
one-half ounce Tinct. Arnica, to one pint dis- 
tilled water, will be found very effective. 

If the pads become torn or cut while hunting, 
a few drops of collodion, slowly applied, will ren- 
der them insensible to pain, at least until the re j 
turn to the kennels. 

Hounds should never be fed to exceed once 
daily. Dogs, in a state of nature, are carnivo- 
rous, and, like wolves, forced to hunt their food, 
would probably feed every three or four days. 
Abstinence, therefore, of forty-eight hours, 



Kennels. 141 

causes but little inconvenience. Overfeeding de- 
stroys activity and upsets the digestive apparatus ; 
of the two evils, over or under feeding, the 
former is much the greater. 

The attendant should always remain in the 
yard while hounds are feeding, not only to pre- 
vent fighting and gorging to repletion, but also 
to familiarize himself with the individual appe- 
tites and manner of eating of his charges. When 
this is known, hounds should be separated at 
feeding time, the timid, shrinking, poor feeders 
in one pen, and the hustling bolters in another. 

When this can not be conveniently done, long, 
narrow, V-shaped oaken feeding troughs should 
be used. They prevent bolting of the food, and 
the greedy ones from getting more than their 
share. These troughs should be thoroughly 
cleaned and exposed to the sun, daily. 

When a hound refuses to eat, he should be 
thoroughly examined. If nose is dry or warm, 
his temperature should be taken. If registering 
above 10 1 in the rectum (normal) he should be 
given a dose of castor oil, and watched carefully 
for a day or two, for other symptoms of sickness. 

An antidote for both arsenic and strychnine 
poisoning should always be kept in the kennels, 
and the huntsmen should not only carry a supply 
of it to the field, but should have a fairly good 
knowledge of poisons, and familiarize himself 
with the characteristic symptoms of each, espe- 



142 Horse and Hound. 

cially if there has been any friction with the 
farmers of the neighborhood. The former is in- 
dicated by vomiting and swollen tongue, while 
the symptoms of the latter are twitching and 
jerking of the limbs and muscles. 

If either is indicated when an antidote is not 
to be had, an emetic of hot water and mustard, or 
tobacco, should be given immediately, and should 
be followed, after action, with a dose of lard. 
If administered in time the hound can be saved. 

Spaying and castrating are seldom practiced 
in this country ; the only advantage (?) to be 
gained is the transformation of a lathy, weedy 
hound into one of better form and conformation, 
but this is gained at the expense of energy, am- 
bition, and vim. One of the most stringent rules 
of the National Fox-hunters' Association is, that 
a castrated or spayed hound shall be ineligible to 
entry. I, as a member of the committee, formu- 
lating these rules, prepared and submitted this 
rule, which, I am pleased to say, met with the 
hearty and unanimous approval of the entire com- 
mittee as well as association. 



SCENT. 

I approach the subject of scent with dread 
and apprehension, for of all the incomprehensible, 
annoying, inconsistent, exasperating, unfathom- 
able things one encounters in the realm of sport, 
the nature and theory of scent is entitled to take 
precedence. The more one studies and investi- 
gates it, the less they seem to know of it. It is 
evidently too complex a problem for eminent 
scientists of the world to effectually solve. They 
seem to have left it to the practical, every-day 
man with little or no pretensions to scientific at- 
tainments to solve. I have found it impossible 
to learn anything from a scientific or medical 
standpoint, having been unable to find a single 
treatise or work touching upon it in the slightest 
degree. - My observations, therefore, are purely 
practical, which, doubtless, in the long run, are 
better than theoretical ones. As every one who 
has hunted hounds has formulated in their own 
minds theories of scent, I have but little hopes of 
changing the minds of any such, and what I may 
say is solely for the benefit of those who have 
given the subject but little thought. 

My experiments have not been wholly con- 
H3 



144 Horse and Hound. 

fined to chasing the fox, for a number of years 
spent in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains hunt- 
ing bear, deer, wolves, and mountain lions with 
hounds gave me abundant opportunity to work 
out and familiarize myself with the many puz- 
zling features of scent problems. 

I have imported, owned, and bred blood- 
hounds for probably fifteen years, and have at 
present at least a score of these magnificent trail- 
ers, and have, in connection with them, as well 
as with foxhounds, made many and varied expe- 
riments in scent and trailing, and yet I must con- 
fess that I have much yet to learn, knowing only 
the rudiments of the science, never having been 
able to discover to my own satisfaction the laws 
upon which scent is constructed. 

Time and again have I worked out theories 
of scent to my own satisfaction, only to have 
them completely upset the very first time I at- 
tempted to apply them in practice, convincing me 
among other things that "scent is as variable as 
the weather." I therefore give my theory and 
opinion of scent for what they are worth, and 
leave the reader to form his own conclusions. 

It is a well-known fact that people bereft of 
one or more of the senses appear to have the 
others intensified. On this subject, however, my 
very good friend, Mr. William Wade, president 
of the National Fox-hunters' Association, says: 
"There is no higher development of the sense of 




W. S. WALKER. 
Kentucky. 



Scent. 145 

smell in the deaf-blind, or in dogs distinguished 
for 'nose/ but that the ability of drawing fine dis- 
tinctions is higher, or what is probably the same 
thing, the power of concentration is greater." 
Mr. Wade has probably devoted more time and 
research to the problem of scent than any other 
man in this country, and says : "Mankind has as 
high an ability for recognition of various scents 
as any hound ever had, or ever will have, as the 
almost universal exhibition of this in those who 
are both deaf and blind demonstrates it. Katie 
M'Girr, a young woman of a class of twenty-four 
blind mutes, knows when a friend comes any- 
where near her, and I have been amused by her 
restlessness when I come near and her final in- 
quiring if I am not near by. Once I asked her 
who was in the room besides myself, and she im- 
mediately named the two parties, each of whom 
was at least ten feet distant. Linnie Haguewood 
went to the bath, taking her own towels with her ; 
but when they were taken away by mistake, and 
she got the towels that were there before she 
came, she insisted that her towels be brought back 
to her (all the towels were identical). James 
Mitchell, the first deaf and blind person whose 
case was investigated by competent observers, 
knew all his friends by their smell, and even made 
his likes and dislikes on the basis of the smell of 
individuals." 

I have recently read an article by a French- 
10 



146 Horse and Hound. 

man on the subject of scent, in which he advances 
the theory that scent is but a form of motion. 
While I am not a convert to this theory by any 
means, I must admit he presented his theory in a 
plausible and most convincing manner to the lay- 
man. 

The fox unquestionably has two kinds of 
scent, the "pad" scent, a scent that emanates from 
the "pad," or foot, of the fox, and which is com- 
municated by contact with the ground, and a 
body scent, which emanates from the body and 
the scent glands at the root of the tail. The 
power and strength of the pad scent depends, of 
course, more upon the scent-retaining qualities 
of the ground, and the body scent more upon the 
atmospheric and climatic conditions. 

It is generally conceded that the sense of smell 
leaves a stronger impression upon the brain than 
the other senses, and the scent of a fox seems to 
thrill the very nerves of a hound, they showing a 
fondness for the scent of a fox not evinced in 
running any other animal. 

The strong smell of a fox, while most disa- 
greeable to us, is evidently as agreeable to a 
hound's delicate organs as are the spices of Araby 
to man. 

There is no questioning the fact that freezing 
obliterates scent for the time being, and thaw- 
ing will renew it. This is fully and practically 
illustrated by the fact that hounds have been laid 



Scent. 147 

in the early morning upon tracks of deer made in 
soft ground the night previous and afterwards 
freezing, and have utterly refused to "own the 
line," but later on in the day when the ground 
was thawed out by the sun, they had no trouble 
in holding the same line at top speed. 

I have often seen hounds run equally well on 
all kinds of ground, whether grass, stubble, 
plowed land, road; whether wet or dry. This, 
of course, is body scent, there being but little 
wind the effluvia from the fox's body is not dissi- 
pated, and the hounds could fairly revel in it and 
carry it breast high; again, I have, on "a cloudy 
day with a light southerly wind" and a fairly 
damp ground, seen hounds that should "burn up" 
a line, potter along with frequent checks and 
losses hardly able to speak it. 

Among the many peculiarities of scent may 
be mentioned the following. While atmospheric 
conditions undoubtedly have more to do with it 
than any other one thing, it is not controlled 
wholly by it. 

A fox in a quiet state gives but moderate 
scent; when in active motion and heated up, the 
exhalations, especially from the body and the 
scent glands, permeate the air, float upon it, and 
can be detected at quite a distance. In proof of 
this I have placed a bagged fox near the kennels 
to test noses of young hounds, and it is remark- 
able how close it can be placed without even the 



148 Horse and Hound. 

older hounds noticing it. The same hounds 
would "cry" a running fox at three times the dis- 
tance. I have personally, upon several occasions 
winded a hunted fox several feet from the line, 
and at night it is easy for a hunter to tell by the 
scent if a running fox has passed a given point, 
especially if in a hollow. 

A flagging or worn out fox at the end of a 
run is supposed not to give as strong a scent as 
when hard pushed in the midst of a run, and a 
sleeping fox, or one lying quietly, will give but 
comparatively little scent. 

A high wind is particularly unfavorable and 
destructive of scent. Dry ground, leaves, and 
grass retain but little scent. A hot sun is also 
detrimental to scent. 

It has always been to me one of the mysteries 
of scent why freshly plowed ground should prove 
such a poor scent retainer, even when moist. I 
can ciily account for it upon the basis that fresh 
earth is a good disinfectant and kills scent, as is 
evidenced by the principle of the old-fashioned 
earth closet, though in plowed fields we have no 
stubble or grass to catch and retain the effluvia 
of the body scent or trees and brush to shield the 
line from wind and sun — both scent destroyers. 
I am more inclined to believe in these than in the 
theory of some who claim that the "pad" of the 
fox gets coated with the soft earth in crossing 
freshly plowed fields, and thus prevents the pad 




REDMOND C. STEWART. 

M. F. H. Green Spring Valley Hunt Club. 

Maryland. 



Scent. 1 49 

scent from coming in contact with the ground, 
but this does not account for the absence of body 
scent. 

The faster and harder a fox is pushed the 
more body scent will he give off, and any expe- 
rienced hunter will tell you that he has frequently 
seen hounds under such circumstances running 
with nose breast high many feet away from the 
line. 

I have seen hounds enter a stream of swiftly 
running water and come out on the opposite 
shore exactly where the fox had left the water, 
showing conclusively that they were guided solely 
by body scent. 

Few fox-hunters will believe that water re- 
tains scent, and I for years thought so myself, in 
fact, it was only recently, while on a deer hunt- 
ing trip in the interior of Cuba, that I found the 
contrary to be true. The deer would invariably 
take to the lagoons and have to pass through low 
lands covered to a depth of several inches with 
clear, clean water, no bushes or vegetation were 
near enough to retain particles of scent, and 
enough wind was blowing to carry away any 
body scent before the hounds reached these 
points, but they never faltered, but owned the 
line as correctly as if on the Blue Grass fields of 
their native heath. I am supported in this state- 
ment that water will hold scent by Mr. Isaac Bell, 
M. F. H., County Galway Hounds, Ireland; and 



150 Horse and Hound. 

Mr. W. S. Walker, of Kentucky. The latter I 
consider an authority upon any subject connected 
with fox-hunting. 

The fact that foxes have individual odors is 
well known to all hunters, also the fact that an 
old hound will not leave the line of a fox he is 
running for another crossing the same that may 
be both fresher and stronger, but this does not 
apply to young hounds. 

Who is there of us who has had experience 
in the West that can not recall the confidence and 
affection we had in our favorite hunting horse, 
who, time and again, saved us a night out on the 
plains, "lying upon our backs and covered with 
our bellies," by displaying his homing ability and 
going as straight to camp as the needle to the 
pole; that, too, when it was so dark one could 
hardly see enough to think? 

This ability of horses to follow a trail, and 
not necessarily a back trail, is well known, espe- 
cially to any one who has spent much time on the 
illimitable plains of the West. This trailing in- 
stinct in the horse is entirely distinct from the 
"homing" instinct possessed in a greater or lesser 
degree by all horses, and from which upon sev- 
eral occasions I have been a sufferer. In horse 
"homing" there are many aids other than the 
power of scent, but in trailing other horses across 
rough and rugged country they have scent alone 
to guide them. 



Scent. 1 5 1 

I recall an instance that happened to me in 
the early seventies. Traveling north from Ft, 
Laramie, in Wyoming, with a hunting party, one 
of my pack horses, a "cayuse," pulled his picket 
at night and could not be found next morning. 
We proceeded without him. At the end of the 
third day's ride, as we were about to pitch camp, 
up galloped the truant. It developed that he was 
found snubbed to a tree in a chapparel not far 
from our camp site. The day after our departure, 
upon being released by a party of hunters, he 
took our trail, twenty-four hours old, and fol- 
lowed it as faithfully as a hound for over a hun- 
dred miles with absolutely nothing to assist him 
but his unerring power of scent, as there were no 
roads, not even a bridle path or tepee trail, and 
probably no horse other than a Sioux pony had, 
at that time, ever been over this country. 



THE FOX. 

The fox is well esteemed the most sagacious 
and crafty of all animals. His subtlety and dis- 
tinguished characteristics have won him a con- 
spicuous place in the folk-lore and myths of all 
nations where he has been known. In this coun- 
try, especially in the South, his praises are sung 
both in song and story. In Japan the natives be- 
lieve him to be animated by the devil himself, 
and their historical and religious writings are full 
of strange and weird accounts respecting him. 
In other lands poets have commemorated his 
deeds in romance and legend. 

He at all times and under all conditions leads 
a most strenuous life, and one can not help but 
admire him for his sagacity, adroitness, and 
craftiness. In fact, when I see one upon his na- 
tive heath, I always feel like uncovering to him. 

The fox is proverbial for his cunning and in- 
genuity in obtaining food and then outwitting 
and eluding his pursuers. 

His appearance is truly indicative of his char- 
acter, and he has long been the synonym of cun- 
ning and slyness. One of his most characteristic 
traits is the readiness with which he acquaints 



The Fox. 153 

himself with anything of a conspicuous nature 
that threatens violence to him. 

If given half a chance for existence in a com- 
munity, his ability to circumvent his would-be 
destroyers, combined with his prolificness will al- 
ways maintain him, for there is no racial suicide 
m the fox family. His whole life is one sequence 
of crime and mischievous shedding and wasting 
of blood, and every man's hand is against him, 
and it is only the instinctive desire for self-pres- 
ervation possessed in common by all animals 
that enables him to hold his own in the struggle 
for existence. 

There are about twenty species of the fox, dis- 
tributed in every country except Australia and 
South America. While there are about half of 
this number found in America, among whom are 
the arctic, black, and silver fox, I shall confine 
myself to the wily red and his cowardly cousin, 
the gray. 

The red fox was unknown in America pre- 
vious to 1760, at which time a number of them 
were imported from England and liberated on 
Long Island. They made their way to the main- 
land, and to-day are found from North Carolina 
and Tennessee to the whole northeastern part of 
the United States, as far west as Montana, and as 
far north as Alaska. 

The red fox is forty inches in length and will 
average about thirteen or fourteen inches in 



154 Horse and Hound. 

height. He is a rusty red in color, with a grayish 
tinge on rump, belly, and flank, while the hairs 
along the spine and tail are black, the end of the 
tail being lighter in color and frequently, espe- 
cially in males, tipped with white. Legs are 
black, frequently white on the inside; feet black, 
breast white, and ears tipped with black. 

The red has greater shrewdness, cunning, and 
courage than the gray, and far surpasses him in 
speed and endurance. He is a sociable sort of a 
chap, seldom, if ever, found in the wilds and not 
infrequently will make raids upon the poultry 
yards of the residents of a city, and these expe- 
ditions are seldom fruitless. 

It is almost impossible to describe the extraor- 
dinary powers of this wonderful little animal. 
He is very deceptive in appearance, while seem- 
ingly fragile and delicate, no animal has more 
muscular development in proportion to its size. 

The gray fox is about thirty-eight inches long, 
gray in color, though darker along the back, and 
sometimes almost black along the spine. The 
sides of the neck, ears, and down the breast a 
rusty, dirty red ; tips of ears black ; feet and parts 
of legs and under surface of body, rusty red. Por- 
tion of the throat, breast, and inner side of the 
legs, white. Coarser hairs in tail than the red 
fox, but not soft under coat. 

The gray lives in hollow trees and stumps, 
and is naturally a better climber than the red. 




J. W. CRANK. 

Missouri. 



The Fox. 155 

It is remarkable the ability they can show in tree 
climbing when closely pressed by a pack of 
hounds. 

They prefer a warm climate and are generally 
found in all the Southern States. The red fox, 
when he made his advent into the South in the 
early fifties ran out the gray, but of late years 
the latter has returned and both can be found, 
though seldom "using" the same section. 

The gray has a thin, weak bark with much 
less volume than the red, the male of the latter, 
especially in the spring, having a full, wild bark, 
not unlike the coyote — though not so loud and 
deep. 

The gray never depends upon his legs to save 
his brush by eluding his pursuers, but doubles 
back and forth, circles, and twists, runs fences, 
logs, dodges and hides until the hounds are al- 
most upon him. These tactics avail him not, and 
with good conditions a pack of hounds should 
tree, hole, or "break him" in twenty minutes. 

The red, though a mile away when he first 
hears the "grand chorus," will at once check his 
baggage and start for foreign parts, and from 
the speed with which he takes his departure one 
would suppose his destination to be one of the 
poles, and he had but a few minutes in which to 
reach it. It is not until he finds them hanging on 
like grim death and that he has not distanced 
them, that he brings his cunning and ingenuity 



156 Horse and Hound. 

into play — then he can give his cousin gray many 
points in the game. 

The kit fox's range is restricted to Colorado, 
Wyoming, and the Western Plains, and is much 
too small to afford any sport in the chase, being 
only twenty-five inches in length. He is a yel- 
low gray, darker on the back, especially along the 
line of the spine; the legs and under parts of the 
body are lighter in color; he has a full, bushy 
tail with white tip and a black spot on each side 
of the muzzle. 

Foxes arrive at maturity at eighteen months, 
live to be ten or twelve years old, and are gen- 
erally free from fatal epidemics, though subject 
to a mild form of distemper and a violent, malig- 
nant form of mange. A fox in its naturally wild 
state seldom, if ever, contracts mange except from 
a captive fox that has been liberated, and one 
such fox will quickly infect all the foxes in a 
neighborhood. 

In captivity they have an unhealthy and un- 
happy look, especially the red fox, which never 
becomes tamed, being incapable of thorough do- 
mestication. It is sometimes playful when raised 
in captivity, but, like other savage animals, will 
bite upon the least offense, and always retains his 
suspicious disposition, languishing when deprived 
of his liberty. After being full grown, they 
seem to lack all sentiments resembling affection 
as illustrated in the dog; are extremely nervous, 



The Fox. 157 

and are always easily frightened — if they once 
exhibit fear of an object or sound they never 
seem able to overcome it. 

They generally mate in the months of Janu- 
ary or February, breeding once a year, and have 
from four to eight whelps at a litter. When the 
maternal solicitude of the vixen is aroused noth- 
ings excels her courage in defending her young, 
and she seldom dies unavenged upon her enemies. 

The pupil of the eye is not circular like that 
of the dog, but oblique, indicating nocturnal ex- 
cellence but imperfect eyesight in the daytime. 

The individual odor of the fox is treated of 
under the heading of scent. 

He is endowed with great speed, unequaled 
agility, and most extraordinary powers of en- 
durance. His favorite haunts are, from our 
standpoint, but miserable selections, but there is 
generally method in his madness in providing 
himself with a country where he can retire from 
pressing clangers, either real or imaginary. Their 
sense of smell and hearing is aggravatingly acute, 
though in the daytime their eyesight is not what 
one would expect. 

The English claim greater endurance, more 
speed, and cunning for the English fox. Audu- 
bon, than whom there is no greater authority, 
says the red fox of America is the superior of 
his English cousin in every way. From what I 
know of the relative performances of English 



158 Horse and Hound. 

hounds with each, I am prepared to adopt his 
views on the subject in preference to theirs, espe- 
cially in view of the fact that but comparatively 
few Englishmen have ever hunted the American 
fox upon his native heath. 

While the strategy and finesse constantly ex- 
hibited by the fox hold our admiration and 
prompt us to credit him with a high order of rea- 
soning and intelligence, I have always regarded 
"with a grain of salt" the story of the fox 
troubled with fleas, which slowly waded out into 
the water, gradually immersing all parts of his 
body until nothing but the tip of his tail remained 
above, to which point all the fleas had assembled, 
and then with a shake of his tail consigned them 
to a watery grave. Also the story of the fox 
that stole a hunter's decoy duck and used it in 
luring wild ducks to his meshes, I have always 
coupled with the other. They should justly be in 
a class to themselves. 

I have known hunters to credit foxes with 
avoiding corn fields and plowed ground on ac- 
count of the accumulated weight of mud on their 
drooping tails, and most any Southern darky who 
hunts will tell you, with a very straight face, that 
when a fox's tail gets so weighted he will at once 
swim a creek or river to wash it out, and that he 
will invariably swim a river full of alligators, 
knowing the fondness of the alligator for a hound 
will prevent the latter from following him. 




N. S. DAUGHERTY. 

Louisiana. 



The Fox. 159 

There are many conflicting opinions on the 
subject of the chase. Some would have us be- 
lieve a hunted fox undergoes all the agonies of 
a schoolgirl in a room with a mouse. Many a 
hunter will tell you honestly and candidly that 
he believes a fox enjoys the chase as much as the 
hounds. I have seen them leisurely galloping 
along after having thrown the hounds off their 
trail by a master stroke of strategy, and they 
really seemed to be having their share of the fun. 
I knew of a litter of cubs that undoubtedly rev- 
eled in a chase. I would take several couples 
of young hounds after dark where the cubs 
"used," and for ten or fifteen minutes would have 
a fast run — the cubs circling in the neighborhood 
of their den and taking to earth upon finding the 
hounds gaining upon them. Calling the hounds 
off, in a half hour they would again be abroad 
and a repetition of the chase would occur, this 
being repeated several times in a single night. 
One night, desiring a longer chase, I sat down in 
front of the den with the intention of preventing 
the cub returning to the den. I did not succeed, 
for the cub literally jumped into my lap and then 
into the den. 



TRICKS AND HABITS OF THE FOX. 

His Royal Redness is acknowledged to be the 
fleetest and most wary game chased, and is the 
embodiment of cunning and sly audacity. 

In spite of the prating of the mistaken phi- 
lanthropists upon the cruelty of the chase, I firmly 
believe, in a measure, they learn to enjoy it. He 
is not shot and wounded to drag himself off and 
die like many wild animals, but is given a fair 
sportsman's chance for his life. If he escapes, he 
quickly recovers from his bodily fatigue; if 
caught, his end is an instantaneous and honorable 
one and is as gallant as the race for life he has 
just put up. 

A hunting enthusiast who has spent years of 
his life in hunting, and thinks he has a practical 
intimate knowledge of their habits, is constantly 
being surprised at some new trick of boldness 
and audacity upon their part, and never tires of 
relating them to brother sportsmen. Were I to 
attempt to recount the many tricks, wiles, and 
habits he possesses, my book would contain noth- 
ing else. I shall mention but a few, those I think 
will be of assistance to would-be hunters. 

A dry bed with a southern exposure, shel- 
tered from the wind, is a great luxury to a fox 
1 60 



Tricks and Habits of the Fox. 1 6 1 

taking a "siesta," and is much sought after, espe- 
cially in the early morning hours. Having lo- 
cated or suspected his napping place, it should 
be approached up wind. 

At the first sound of a hound's cry, softened 
by distance and borne on the wind, the fox, if he 
be resting or sleeping, will jump to his feet, and 
if in thick brush or cover, walk to a clearing. If 
the hounds are at quite a distance he will mount 
a stump or fence and remain listening until he 
satisfies himself the sound is approaching, this 
seldom takes but little time as their sense of hear- 
ing is abnormally acute. If it is a dog fox, and 
especially one that has heard the grand chorus 
of a clamorous pack at his heels before, he waits 
not upon the order of his going, but takes a bee 
line for another section of country. If it is a 
vixen, especially one with cubs, her instinct 
tempts her to remain close by, and she will begin 
her run by making large circles, attempting to get 
in the rear of the hounds. 

After a few regularly executed preliminary 
maneuvers, and the fox has settled down to the 
business in hand, an experienced hunter can tell 
whether the quarry is a red or gray, male or fe- 
male (if the latter, whether in whelp or not), old 
or young, novice or old-timer, stiff-neck or loafer, 
and approximately what his tactics will be. 

The natural instinct and first inclination of the 
red fox (though not so with the gray) is to out- 
ii 



1 62 Horse and Hound. 

distance his pursuers by speed. If he finds he is 
not doing this and the hounds are holding their 
own, then he resorts to his many tricks and cun- 
ning. 

His favorite practice is to make for a herd of 
cattle, band of horses, or flock of sheep, and will 
boldly seek a farm or stable yard in search of 
them. 

Another favorite "dodge" is roading. I have 
known them to run a road for miles, leaving it at 
approach of travelers and immediately returning 
after passing them. They instinctively appre- 
ciate the difficulty of hounds trailing them in the 
dust. They will also run a railroad, and their 
fondness for and ability to run any kind of fence 
is too well known to need mention. 

It is a well-known fact that a fox when hard 
pressed and beginning to fail will make for a 
cover where another fox is known "to use." By 
many it is believed that this unceremonious visit 
is not to exchange the compliments of the day, 
but to introduce and present the hounds to his 
acquaintance. Upon this point I "hae me doots." 
Admitting it to be so, it is not always a successful 
ruse, for old experienced hounds are chary about 
making new acquaintances, at least until they 
have shaken hands with the original. Young 
hounds are not so particular as "all scents smell 
alike to them." 

The only evidence of stupidity I have ever 



Tricks and Habits of the Fox. 163 

been able to credit a fox with is his propensity 
for regularly running the same line. I have 
known foxes to have a regular course as well laid 
out and adhered to as a steeplechase, and no mat- 
ter how often he might be run he would take the 
same identical course, even to jumping a fence or 
wall at a given point, and not varying it a single 
panel. Doubtless they realize the "ethics" of a 
sportsman will not allow him to take an undue 
advantage by putting in fresh hounds once the 
chase has begun. 

As before stated, Americans are more easily 
satisfied with a run without a kill than their Eng- 
lish cousins. If a stiff-neck red has given them a 
good run, they will often give him a new lease of 
life by whipping off the hounds when it is possible 
to do so, and it is an extremely rare occurrence 
for a fox once having reached his hole or treed 
to be routed out or killed. In fact, so few kills 
are made that the fox may well be said to take 
his own "lease of life." 

Strange as it may seem, foxes are more easily 
lost at the end of a run, when tired and ex- 
hausted, than when fresh. In the latter condi- 
tion they depend upon their heels saving their 
pelts, and it is only when wearied that they be- 
gin the maneuvers of cunning and sagacity for 
which they are famous. Some think a sinking 
fox gives less scent, but I have never been able 
to verify this. 



164 Horse and Hound. 

A tired fox jumping a fence from a woodland 
into an open will frequently skirt the fence for a 
few hundred yards and jump back into the wood, 
whereas if fresh he would take an air line across 
the open. 

Foxes in all countries are stronger, hardier, 
and give a much longer and better chase in every 
way during the months of December and January 
than in any other. This is especially true of the 
dog fox, who at this time is unusually bold and 
audacious. 

A gorged fox is as unfit to run as a darky 
after a visit to a watermelon patch; a red fox in 
this condition will often be mistaken for a gray 
fox from his unusual manner of conducting his 
campaign against the hounds. 

A fresh fox, pressed hard, will circle and pass 
close to his hole several times without entering. 
I have heard old hunters advance the theory that 
a fox when heated will avoid his hole as long as 
possible for fear of suffocation. I know nothing 
in contradiction of this and merely state the facts. 

If after a straight away run of several miles 
the line begins to twist and turn, and a complete 
loss is then made, do not attempt to get up an- 
other fox, but leisurely return to the jumping 
place, and the chances are you will find him there 
ahead of you and ready for another run. 

It is easy to tell from the appearance and ac- 
tion of sheep when a fox has passed through the 




DR. A. C. HEFFENGER. 

M. F. H. Portsmouth Hunt Club. 
New Hampshire. 



Tricks and Habits of the Fox. 165 

bunch, they invariably face in the direction he has 
gone, and a few young sheep will follow to the 
place in fence where the fox left the field. 

In stocking a section with foxes, all captive 
foxes should be carefully examined for mange 
before being planted or turned down, one mangy 
fox may contaminate every one in your section. 

If mange is detected, they should be "dipped" 
before being liberated, and well dusted with dry 
sulphur on being released. 



IN THE FIELD. 

"®lj* takg tttgtjt txbta imam ttj? sky, 

And aal^rfl In tlj* morn, 
5ty* Iinundfi all jam in glartanH rnj, 
®lj* tjtmtaatan aitnoa tjia Ijarn/' 

Hunting in moderation, as indulged in in 
this country, is a rational amusement and recrea- 
tion. In England this ancient sport has lost none 
of its prestige, for it is not uncommon for a man 
to hunt from four to six days a week. It even 
assumes the proportions of professionalism, and 
a man conditions and trains himself the same as 
horse and hound. 

Surely our cousin John Bull, when it comes 
to sustaining ancestral sportsmanship, never does 
things by halves, and fully upholds England's 
reputation as a nation of sport lovers. 

We are too apt to neglect the fundamental 
principles of hunting and riding in our greedy 
desire to become past grand masters in the art. 
For instance, how very few of us ever become 
judges of pace? how few of us fully realize the 
great importance of giving the subject any 
thought ? and yet to one who desires to be known 
as a first flight man, one that can live in front, 
it is absolutely necessary. 
166 



In the Field. 167 

Hunting, unlike other sports, has no written 
rules for instruction of the novice, therefore 
necessary customs and observances can only be 
acquired by actual experience in the field. 

If you have neither the time nor inclination 
to make practical study of fox-hunting and wish 
to enjoy an occasional day's hunting without 
detracting from the pleasures of others afield, the 
adoption of the following "do n'ts," with a slight 
knowledge and experience of hounds and hunt- 
ing, and the ability to keep your mouth closed, 
your eyes and ears open, looking wise, will ma- 
terially assist you in fooling others into the be- 
lief that you are a "real blown in the bottle" fox- 
hunter. 

On your way to the "meet" avoid crossing or 
riding over country there is any possibility of be- 
ing hunted later on, especially if there are sev- 
eral in your party. Foxes that have been hunted 
before take their cue from your horse's footsteps 
and your own voice, and act accordingly. 

Do not fret and worry your horse en route 
by "larking" (jumping unnecessary fences), he 
will need every ounce of his reserve force later on. 

While it is unpardonable for any one to join 
the field without a thorough knowledge of at least 
the rudimentary rules of the game, a novice, es- 
pecially a woman, may offend the customs and 
observances of the field ; do not swear at the man 
or scowl at the woman, no matter how strongly 



1 68 Horse and Hound. 

you may be tempted to do so, and do not waste 
your spleen upon your horse, who is no more re- 
sponsible for it than yourself. 

Upon reaching covert before hounds are cast, 
dismount, adjust saddle and girths, and if horse 
is heated, walk him quietly a few minutes, taking 
care that he does not step upon or kick any of 
the hounds. 

When hounds are cast off, remain perfectly 
quiet and keep your horse so; hounds are easily 
rattled at this stage, and too much enthusiasm 
upon your part may cause them to "run riot." 

Do your talking before hounds are cast off 
and never ask the master or huntsman any ques- 
tions as to why they did thus and so during a run. 
Later on when the run is finished you stand a 
better chance of getting a civil answer. 

If you see a fox break cover or cross a field, 
halloo "Tally-ho away," and point in the direc- 
tion, but do not start after him until the hounds 
either have a view or are placed on the line. Re- 
member you can not catch him without the 
hounds. 

During a check or loss do n't talk about your 
last partner at the cotillion, your run of luck the 
night before at bridge or where your favorite ball 
team will finish the season. Of all times this is 
when you should be quietest, and if you are a 
woman do not at this particular time, I beseech 
you, ask a man to hold your horse while you do 




JUDGE C. FLOYD HUFF. 
Arkansas. 



In the Field. 169 

up your back hair. This seems to be a favorite 
time for this performance, and many a time have 
I groaned, yes, cussed, in spirit when this request 
has been made of me. This request and the in- 
quiry "are my girths loose ?" have more than once 
caused a chill to run up and down my spine, and 
naughty words to come up in my mouth. Do not 
understand me as objecting to women in the field, 
I much prefer them to addle-pated men, and, in 
fact, I have probably done as much hunting with 
women as with men, and I am free to confess 
the women of Kentucky are equal, if not superior, 
to the men in the saddle. I am sure they are more 
reckless and take greater chances, and I know 
they have greater respect for both the written and 
unwritten laws of the hunt. 

Never leave your line to seek another jumping 
place unless you are sure no one else is within 
several hundred yards and making for the same 
objective point. If any one is fencing ahead of 
you, make certain he has made a clean "lep" and 
is out of the way. It is bad enough to "come a 
cropper" yourself, without having some one else 
jump on top of you. 

Never select as a pilot a man you do not know 
to be a fox-hunter in every sense of the word, and 
if you see a rider tearing across a distant field at 
your right or left, do not go to him unless you 
have something more tangible than his action to 
urge you. 



170 Horse and Hound. 

Always be on the lookout for hounds, espe- 
cially in jumping. It is an easy matter to kill a 
good hound, but it is a very difficult one to re- 
place it. 

If you are a novice do not try to fool yourself 
into the belief that the art of riding well to hounds 
can be acquired by every one. Most any one can 
become a good rider on the flat, but it takes long 
years of experience and keen observation in the 
field to keep hounds in view; reserve your own 
and horse's strength, and be "in at the death." 

A good flat rider who finds himself for the 
first time following the hounds, may be timid at 
the first fence; after that fear disappears, and 
the wild exhilaration and excitement brings de- 
light known only to a cross-country rider. He 
scatters anxiety and fear to the winds, taking al- 
most impossible jumps with renewed courage and 
increasing confidence as he follows the vanishing 
pack. It is only when he finds himself embracing 
mother earth he realizes " 't is the pace that kills," 
and the coveted distinction of "living in front" is 
enjoyed by the careful, painstaking rider, and that 
breakneck riding and a corresponding disregard 
of consequences will often bring their own re- 
ward. 

One actual practical experience like this in 
the field is worth all the reading and theoretical 
knowledge one can gain of hunting in a lifetime. 

Never force or hurry hounds in puzzling out 



In the Field. 171 

a cold scent, this is one of the most fruitful means 
of spoiling sport. If you feel restless and impa- 
tient, dismount and sit upon a fence or stump. 
If you and your horse are impatient it will surely 
be communicated to the hounds and a check will 
soon develop into a loss. 

Never get ahead of the hounds, remember, no 
matter how great the temptation to be seen "in 
front," you can not catch the fox yourself, but 
you can, and probably will, spoil a day's sport for 
a score of people by such tactics. 

To make and retain a reputation and charac- 
ter as a good hunter is a hard job, but in no way 
can one add to it more then by careful and judi- 
cious riding, relative to the hounds in the field. 

One should never ride in the proximity of 
hounds and not too far to right or left to inter- 
fere with a swing or cast they might chance to 
make. 

In passing hounds on the road or lane, halt 
your horse until all have passed. If listening for 
voice of hounds hold your horse's head up, never 
let him nibble grass, twigs, or bushes, or champ 
his bit — this is an abominable habit, and a horse 
should be broken of it. 

If one rides off from the crowd to listen to 
and locate the pack, do not follow or approach 
him. In a chase do not consider it necessary to 
tie your horse to the tail of the M. F. H. It is 
extremely annoying to him to be crowded. 



172 Horse and Hound. 

Never start on a thoroughly empty stomach, 
calculating that you will return in time for lunch 
or dinner ; always put a cracker or biscuit in your 
pocket. Many a time have I had occasion to feel 
thankful when, utterly exhausted, I ran across 
such in a pocket, though they were several days 
old. 

Never mind what the other fellow does, at- 
tend to your own knitting, he will take care of 
himself, and there is no one to look after you but 
yourself. 

Do not boast of what phenomenal jumps you 
made in the run. If the field saw them that is all 
that is necessary; if they did not, they won't be- 
lieve you, so save your breath and reputation. 

Whenever you are thrown in contact with a 
conceited rider, you can rest assured that he ac- 
quired his education as a rider either at his club 
or from viewing hunters from a box at a horse 
show; there is nothing that takes conceit out of 
such a one as quickly as a few runs across a stiff 
country. 

Hard, level turf or sod is best ground for a 
take off as well as a landing. If possible, always 
avoid flat rock or loose stones in landing. In- 
variably put horse at middle of a panel rather 
than at either side ; the reasons are too obvious to 
mention. 

If you have decided on a certain panel and 
have started for it, unless for very good reasons 



In the Field, 1 73 

do not change your mind, and if you find you 
have not time enough to change direction so that 
you may reach the new take off at right angles, 
do not attempt an oblique jump, but pull up and 
go back. 

When taking a stone wall where the landing 
can not be seen and is an unknown quantity, 
though the jump may not be high it is best to in- 
crease the speed, the momentum insuring a wider 
jump, thus clearing any loose stones or obstacles 
that may be close to the fence on the landing side, 
which is frequently the case where the top or cop- 
ing denotes a low place in the wall. 

If you are riding by balance and feel that you 
have lost your center of gravity in jumping, do 
not attempt to steady yourself with the reins, take 
hold of the mane, pommel, or cantle in prefer- 
ence. This may not look so well to the novice or 
green hunter who is watching you, but an old- 
timer will readily understand it, and give you 
credit for not yanking or jerking your horse from 
his stride or flight, and I am sure your horse will 
appreciate it. 

Unless thoroughly acquainted with your 
mount's methods in jumping, never try a fence or 
gap with boughs or branches overhead unless you 
want to be hooked under the chin, as some horses 
will go as high for a two as a four foot jump. In 
crossing a woodland or wooded pasture do not go 
under the trees if at high speed, as fallen limbs 



i74 Horse and Hound. 

covered by tall grass and weeds are liable to cause 
you to "come a cropper." 

If at a stiff jump you realize your horse is off 
his stride, not well in hand, ungathered, and legs 
not well under him, it is better to pull up, and 
turning, make another go at it, than to take the 
chance of landing on the top rail. This may fret 
your horse and cause some of your "admirers" 
to smile, but take my word for it, it is a wise 
move. 

Watch your horse's ears and feel of his 
mouth, they are sure indicators of whether he is 
ready and willing, sour or sore, over the ap- 
proaching jump. If found ready and willing, with 
gentle pressure of knee and rein advise him that 
you are also ready, and indicate from your reso- 
lute, yet quiet manner, that you will expect him 
to do his part; do not hesitate, falter, or exhibit 
any indecision of manner unless you wish to com- 
municate the same to your mount. 

Under the heading of jumping I have given 
full instructions as to the relative speed for the 
different obstacles to be cleared. 

Always bear in mind that fences and walls do 
not require as much speed as ditches, brooks, and 
wide obstacles, where the momentum gained will 
be an advantage in clearing space. 

An experienced rider in approaching a fence 
will never look for the lowest place, but will 
rather look for the place with the best take off and 




DR. J. H. PARKER. 
New York. 



171 



In the Field. 175 

landing; with these accessories a good hunter's 
powers for clean jumping are almost unlimited. 

I do not mean by this to counsel the selection 
of high jumps, but I do mean that a high jump 
with good take off and landing is much safer 
than a lower one with bad take off and landing. 

The rider who selects the high jumps irre- 
spective of other conditions, merely to show 
off his ability, or rather his lack of sense, is gen- 
erally properly classed by the genuine hunters 
afield. 

If hounds are fencing in advance of you, wait 
until you see them well beyond the fence ; do not 
take it for granted that they will get out of your 
way. No man can estimate what a hound will do 
with any certainty under any circumstances. 

If you are not ambitious of becoming a 
"thruster" or first flight man, and are contented 
to let others "blaze the trail" for you, do not al- 
ways follow a leader or pilot ; your horse may be- 
come so accustomed to it he may refuse to jump 
without one. A leader is generally an incentive 
to any horse to jump, as well as to refuse, should 
one in front of him set the example. 

The Walkers train their hunters to jump 
fences from a virtual standstill, and I have seen 
them take some remarkable jumps, especially 
when it is considered they weigh, on an average, 
225 pounds and ride with very heavy saddles. 

Their horses average about 15-2 ; I can not re- 



176 Horse and Hound. 

call ever seeing one of them on a 16-hand horse. 
More than once have I trailed behind one of them 
through thickets and brush almost impassable to 
ordinary horses, they blazing and opening the 
way at full speed. On more than one occasion 
have I seen Woods Walker in thick woodland put 
his horse at a fallen tree with boughs and leaves 
still on, measuring eight to ten feet high. Of 
course, he did not clear it, but went high enough 
to force the smaller limbs and boughs aside and 
let him through and over; showing the courage 
of, and the unbounded confidence the horse had 
in the rider. I never attempted to follow him but 
once, and then came to grief, landing with my 
horse on top of the fallen tree, much to my 
chagrin. 

Many a good run has been spoiled by not al- 
lowing the hounds to settle well on the line be- 
fore being crowded by hunters ; many get excited 
and hardly know what they are doing. 

The practiced ear will readily distinguish a 
hound's tongue when out of sight. When you 
hear a hound open do not put spurs to your horse 
to get to him unless you recognize his voice and 
know the hound very well ; he may fool you. If 
other hounds are in sight watch them closely, they 
will "heads up" at the sound and listen intently, 
and if not thoroughly satisfied, will again go to 
hunting. This may be repeated several times, 
then, without any apparent difference in tone or 



In the Field. 177 

sound, when another cry is heard, so similar you 
can not detect the difference, the hounds will 
"hark" to it, and with bristles up and sterns lash- 
ing, take fences in their mad flight as though they 
were but a foot high, in their eagerness to "get 
in." They know the characters of their hound 
friends better than you, and know when they are 
either bluffing, lying, or are in earnest. 

When casting never offer to assist as long as 
the hounds are diligently trying to strike it off, 
the less they are interfered with the better; they 
understand finding a fox better than you. While 
a good voice in a hunter is a most desirable qual- 
ity, it should be used sparingly and with judg- 
ment, the ear-piercing, soul-lacerating yells some- 
times encountered in the field only serve to excite 
the hounds and result in more harm than good. 

Hounds while fresh are very excitable, and 
unless you want them to overrun the line at the 
first turn and make a loss, do not press them too 
closely. This fault of the hunter is responsible 
for spoiling more good runs than all the bad soil, 
high winds, and climatic conditions combined. 

One should never forget that it is through 
the courtesy of the farmer that fox-hunting is 
made possible, and in crossing his land greatest 
care should be exercised in not injuring his crops, 
fencing, and stock. 

In Kentucky we are particularly handicapped 
in hunting. The two greatest products of the 
12 



178 Horse and Hound. 

State are hemp and tobacco, and a run of fox 
and hounds alone through the tobacco means a 
serious loss to the owner. Fields and woodlands 
not in cultivation contain hundreds of fine brood 
mares whose colts, either by their sides or in 
utero, are worth thousands of dollars, and noth- 
ing so excites thoroughbred mares as a pack of 
hounds. 

The talk about hunting being a source of rev- 
enue to the farmer may do in a small country like 
England; but in America hunters and grain may 
be raised three thousand miles away from where 
hunting is indulged in. 

Hunting in America requires an altogether 
different hound from England, conditions being 
very dissimilar. Here hounds require superior 
hunting ability, wide ranging, greater persever- 
ance and patience, and, above all, a much better 
nose to enable them to take an old and cold track, 
probably made the day before, and work it out 
inch by inch for six or eight hours if necessary. 
They get absolutely no assistance from the hunter 
and have no one to rely on but themselves. I 
have known instances where a single hound would 
slip away from home, travel eight or ten miles to 
where he had previously run a fox, find an old 
trail, and work it diligently for fifteen or twenty 
hours without ceasing. 

If there are any such hounds in England they 
have never been sent to this country. 




MAJOR W. A. WADSWORTH. 

M. F. H. Geneseo Valley Hunt Club. 
New York. 



178 



In the Field, 179 

A habit I have that have never known another 
to possess, is carrying a few quinine pellets in my 
vest pocket. I have made this a practice for 
years. After a long hard run, even on chilly days 
or in a soaking rain, I have found myself wet 
with perspiration and a pellet of quinine taken 
during a check, has prevented a chill and cold. 
This habit of mine is so well known that I have 
had as many as half a dozen in a single day to 
apply to me for a pellet. 

Many interesting stories are told illustrative 
of "once a fox-hunter always a fox-hunter," and 
of the love of man and horse for the chase never 
deserting them. 

A custom much in vogue in England, but sel- 
dom practiced in this country, is braiding or tying 
a red ribbon to the tail of a kicking horse, and 
the same to the foretop of a biter. Thorough- 
breds are especially addicted to these habits, and 
it is almost impossible to break them. 

The habit of tying red ribbon to barbed wire 
in a fence as a warning, is also practiced in Eng- 
land, and is undoubtedly a wise precaution, but 
it would require the entire output of several trusts 
in red ribbon to supply the hunting districts here. 

Owing to the character of the country through 
wooded districts, it is frequently impossible to 
keep the hounds within either sight or hearing, 
then the craft of the hunter with an accurate 
knowledge of the habits of the game comes into 



180 Horse and Hound. 

play. If sheep or cattle are in sight he can tell 
at a glance if they have passed in their vicinity, 
and, in fact, the very direction they took. Every 
flock of fowls, farm dog, or cur of low degree is 
an indicator. If a band of horses, he can tell 
whether the hounds were close upon or far be- 
hind the fox. If there is a crow or jay bird in 
the neighborhood, he can locate the fox as both 
are inveterate/ enemies of the fox, and will not 
only "peach" upon him, but do everything in 
their power to advise the world at large of the 
fox's presence. All of these signs would be as 
"Greek" to the novice. 

Every country has its own style of horn; the 
small straight copper horn with brass mouthpiece 
and leather case used in England, is well known 
to all. The French brass hunting horn, with its 
winding tubes and flaring base; the cornet or 
bugle of Italy and Spain are not so familiar. In 
this country the Eastern hunt clubs have adopted 
the English horn, the New England hunter uses 
the bugle, while the hunter of the South and 
West, where great stress is laid upon the tone and 
quality of the horn, uses the cow horn. Many 
hunters have horns that have been handed down 
in their families for successive generations and 
prize them very highly, treasuring them as family 
heirlooms. In night hunting there is a peculiar 
charm, a mysterious sweetness about the tone of 
a good, well blown horn that no other musical 



In the Field. 181 

instrument possesses. Its melody fills the heart 
of a hunter and quickens his blood, as does the 
drum and bugle that of a soldier. 

It is remarkable how readily a hound learns 
the tone of his master's horn and never seems to 
forget it or confuse it with another. At hound 
trials of the National Fox-hunters' Association, 
when the hunt for the day had been "called off," 
I have known a score of owners to call in their 
scattered hounds, all winding their horns at the 
same time, and every hound would go to his own 
horn. I do not think this possible with any but 
the cow horn, as all brass and metal horns are 
more or less alike. 

Green was the original color worn in the hunt- 
ing field until succeeded by the showy scarlet in 
the time of George II. In England the pink coat, 
white hunting breeches, top boots, and silk hats 
are the proper dress for the field ; they are seldom 
seen in America, except upon dress parade and 
at the hunt balls. The Eastern hunt clubs are 
conservative in their dress, not running to either 
extreme. I am sorry to say that with us in the 
South the majority do not pay enough attention 
to dress, seldom going beyond boots and riding 
breeches. A silk hat is a rarity, an "oiled 
slicker" being more common. In the South these 
men and women are, for the most part, those with 
a right to love any kind of blue-blooded sport. 
Some of them, indeed, may not have the blood of 



1 82 Horse and Hound. 

great families, but they are born fox-hunters, and 
wearing the old slouch hat and the country jeans 
trousers, are the representatives of forefathers 
who hunted foxes in years gone by, over the same 
ground. 

The matter of dress, therefore, outside of the 
officers and assistants of regularly organized hunt 
clubs, is one largely of individual taste, and as 
fashions are continually changing, a consultation 
with a fashionable tailor would doubtless be more 
satisfactory than any advice I might give on the 
subject. 

Fie;i<d Do n'ts. 

Do n't ride on the coat tails of the man you 
have selected as your pilot. 

Do n't press hounds on the road. 

Do n't leave gates open. 

Do n't fail to tie red ribbon on your horse's 
tail if a kicker, and on foretop if a biter. 

Do n't forget civility to natives. 

Do n't let your mount eat grass or champ bits 
when hounds are working. 

Do n't over or under dress. 

Do n't ask questions of M. F. H. 

Do n't ride over country to be hunted in go- 
ing to meet. 

Do n't blow your horse unnecessarily. 

Do n't ride over hounds either in field or road. 



In the Field. 183 

Do n't discuss hounds unless you are an ex- 
pert. 

Do n't offer suggestions to officers of the hunt. 

Do n't draw comparisons — they are fre- 
quently odious. 

Do n't lose your temper. 

Do n't tell about what your hounds and horse 
can, or did, do. 

Do n't rush your fences. 

Do n't abuse your mount. 

Don't jump unnecessarily. 

Do n't spur or cluck. 

Do n't halloo — let the other fellow do it. 

Do n't stay mounted all the time, dismount 
whenever standing. 

Do n't pump your mount in plowed ground. 

Do n't cross grain fields — go around them. 

Drag-Hunting. 

There are two classes of sportsmen who in- 
dulge in drag-hunting. The business man who 
can spare but a few hours at a time from his 
office, and the man who having the time at his 
disposal, "hunts to ride," rather than "rides to 
hunt." 

Unfortunately they lose all the true sport de- 
rived from a knowledge of hounds and foxes, 
consequently knowing nothing of the finer points 
and many delicate intricacies of the game, so 



184 Horse and Hound. 

thoroughly and keenly enjoyed by an enthusiastic 
and genuine fox-hunter. 

To my mind the fascinating uncertainty of 
success in hunting, is one of the greatest charms 
that appeals to the hunter and adds chiefest zest 
to the sport ; in drag-hunting this is all missing. 

However, it is fortunate that we do not all 
feel and act alike, for if all the sportsmen in the 
world took to fox-hunting, what a strenuous life 
the fox would lead. 

A drag-hunter will enlarge upon the merits of 
his horse, of which he is generally a most excel- 
lent judge and admirer; tell you to an inch the 
height and number of fences he jumped, who took 
a cropper, what a glorious "run" he had, but 
never mention a hound or anything about their 
work; in fact, he regards horses and riding as 
the whole thing, and hounds as mere accessories. 

Not so with the fox-hunter, he jumps fences 
or knocks them down, it is immaterial to him 
which, so he is not delayed; is in the saddle ten 
or twelve hours, and incidentally in several coun- 
ties during the run ; he reaches home probably at 
midnight in a drenching rain, cold, wet, and 
hungry, takes a night-cap and sleeps like a log. 
Blow your horn at his gate at daylight and in- 
form him you are off for a hunt and see if any 
power on earth can keep him from accompanying 
you. While en route to cover ask him about his 
run of the previous day, and he will go over every 



J, 




WM. WADE. 
Pennsylvania. 



184 



In the Field. 185 

foot of "the line," tell you every "loss" or 
"check," every "cast" made by each individual 
hound, which hound "struck it off," and every de- 
tail of the "running and trailing." Ask him about 
his mount, how the field rode, character of coun- 
try covered, and he will look at you in blank 
amazement — this, the fox-hunter. 

Drag-hunting, however, has its devotees who 
seem to extract much enjoyment out of it, and 
for a business man chained to his desk, who can 
only get away occasionally, and can not spare the 
time necessary to successful fox-hunting, it is 
doubtless an excellent substitute. 

Those who desire to try it will find the fol- 
lowing an excellent drag: One-half ounce oil 
anise seed, one-half ounce essential oil valerian, 
one and one-quarter ounce castor oil. Hounds 
must be broken to this scent, however. The bet- 
ter plan is to keep foxes in a zinc lined box or 
cage, save the urine and drag a sponge or rag 
well saturated with it. A sheepskin kept in same 
box can also be used as a drag ; either of these are 
preferable to the anise-seed bag. 

Running a bag fox may be a harmless amuse- 
ment, but it is a poor substitute and a base imi- 
tation of genuine sport. I must plead guilty, 
however, to the charge of having indulged in it. 

A bag fox will not run like a wild fox, even 
though fresh and uninjured, they generally run 
down wind ; and though hounds run them in only 



1 86 Horse and Hound. 

a half-hearted way, I never knew one to get his 
"ticket of leave" before a pack of hounds when 
turned down under favorable conditions for 
trailing. 

If given twenty minutes' license they are gen- 
erally killed in less than the same amount of time 
after the hounds are laid on the line. I have 
known of several instances in which hounds ut- 
terly refused to run a bag fox; in fact, one of 
the best 'all-round" hounds I ever owned could 
never be induced to run a bag fox. 

One form of fox-hunting, as practiced in 
America, that is extremely popular, especially in 
the South, is "night hunting." It is regarded by 
Eastern and Northern hunters very much in the 
same light as drag-hunting is by Southerners. 
While I have indulged in it more or less all my 
life, I must say it has never been popular with 
me; I care more for one good daylight run than 
a month of night hunting. 

I can not account for its popularity or the 
strong hold it has obtained upon its devotees (who 
are legion) unless the fact that in the South one 
can hunt every night in the year, whereas, if they 
had to depend upon days with proper hunting 
conditions, the runs would be but few and far 
between. There are many hunting enthusiasts 
held in its bondage whose chiefest zest in the 
sport is derived from the melody of the deep- 
toned tongues of the clamorous pack in full mo- 



In the Field, 187 

tion brought to them on the night's mild breezes. 
One of this class is quoted by John Fox in his ar- 
ticle on "Fox-hunting in Kentucky/' as saying: 
"I never expect to hear sweeter music unless by 
the grace of heaven I hear some day the choiring 
of angels." 

In night hunting no attempt is made to "ride 
to hounds," but the hunters take advantage of the 
fact of a fox always running the same line, and 
by an easy hand gallop along the roads and lanes 
can always reach the crossings in time to see the 
screaming pack go by. If the night is too dark to 
distinguish the individual forms of the hounds, 
these grizzled old fox-hunters, who by birth, tra- 
dition, and practice combined, keep alive the in- 
herited hunting instinct, know the mouth, or 
tongue, of every hound in the pack, and can at 
the end of an all-night's run tell you the exact 
position of every hound throughout the run much 
better than you or I could relate of a run seen in 
the daytime. 

Master. 

In America (except with hunters) the posi- 
tion of master of hounds is but little understood 
and appreciated. Never make the mistake of be- 
coming "master" of a pack simply because you 
are rich and can afford it, and it is the swell thing 
to do. I know of no position of as great respon- 
sibility, requiring as many high-class qualifica- 



1 88 Horse and Hound. 

tions in one man. He must have the patience of 
Job, a natural love of the sport combined with a 
thorough knowledge not only of the game in all 
its mystifying details, but of humanity as well. 
He must be sensible and good tempered, with 
tact and ability enough to be firm without being 
offensive. 

A M. F. H. is as much of a king (in the field) 
as an ordinary man ever gets to be. His word is 
law — even though that law be an unwritten one. 

No master can ever please an entire field, no 
matter what his ability or how hard he may try, 
therefore the master who hunts with the one idea 
of killing his fox in a workman and sportsman 
like manner, will be the one who is voted a suc- 
cess. 

He should jog quietly to the meet. If the 
field has not arrived at the appointed time, he 
should not wait over ten minutes. Hounds will 
get impatient and be liable to run riot if held in 
restraint longer. Those present will abuse him 
as roundly for the delay as those who are tardy 
will for not waiting for them. 

The position of master of a pack is an envia- 
ble one, invested with dignity and responsibility, 
and is, therefore, one of the most complimentary 
ones which gentlemen can tender a brother sports- 
man, and should not be accepted lightly or 
thoughtlessly. 

In a few of the Eastern hunt clubs the M. F. 







T. S. McRATH. 

M. F. H. Portland Hunt Club. 
Oregon. 



188 



In the Field. 189 

H. has to employ the huntsman, whippers-in, and 
supply mounts for same and self; in a majority of 
them the expense of attendants and mounts is 
borne by the club. 

As in this country the master or owner (fre- 
quently one and the same) generally acts as 
huntsman, the following advice will apply to both. 

The man who hunts a pack should never get 
excited or lose his head. This is the most griev- 
ous fault one can possess, as it will be surely com- 
municated to one's hounds and horse. He should 
at any sacrifice acquire the habit of self-control 
and practice it religiously. If in doubt at any 
time as to what course you should pursue, do not 
consult your field, but act with decision and 
promptness. A vacillating mind will not only 
lose you much ground at a critical part of a run, 
but may lose you the confidence of your field. If 
you are in doubt keep the fact to yourself and 
trust to luck for turning out all right. 

A good voice is a rich inheritage for master 
or huntsman, but it must be used with discretion 
and judgment; remember a noisy hunter is even 
worse than a babbling hound. 

A master or huntsman should never attempt 
to collect hounds by a false call. He may fool 
them a few times, but they will soon find him out 
and he will have cried wolf too often. 

In the field but one man should have charge 
of or hunt the hounds, and no one should so far 



I90 Horse and Hound. 

forget himself as to offer unsolicited assistance 
or suggestions. 

A successful huntsman should have intuitive 
knowledge bordering upon instinct, he should 
possess patience, perseverance, courage, and ac- 
tivity, and be a fearless rider with a good head 
upon his shoulders. In addition to the above he 
should have a thorough knowledge of the ways 
and habits of a fox and a well-defined idea based 
upon practical experience as to just what a fox 
is apt to do under various circumstances over 
which he (the fox) has no control. 

Knowledge of the country to be hunted is of 
essential service to a huntsman, especially in 
"striking off a loss" or making casts to counter- 
balance time lost in the earlier checks of a run. 

As to the qualifications necessary in a hunts- 
man in England, Beckford, than whom there is 
no better authority, says : 

"He should be young, strong, bold, and enter- 
prising, fond of the diversion, and indefatigable 
in the pursuit of it; he should be sensible and 
good tempered; he ought also to be sober; he 
should be a good horseman and a good groom; 
his voice should be strong and clear, and he 
should have an eye so quick as to perceive which 
of the hounds carries the scent when all are run- 
ning; and should have so excellent an ear as al- 
ways to distinguish the foremost hounds when 



In the Field. 19 1 

he does not see them ; he should be quiet, patient, 
and without conceit." 

That the office of huntsman in England is not 
a sinecure or a bed of roses, is proven by the 
record of Will Danby, a celebrated huntsman in 
1830, as follows: 

Three thigh dislocations, all of his ribs laid 
bare on the right side up to breast bone, left arm 
broken once, right shoulder dislocated, collar bone 
broken twice, fracture of the skull above left eye, 
and innumerable flesh rents. 

Jim Treadwell, another celebrated huntsman 
who flourished in the early forties, while hardly 
the physical curiosity of Danby, must have been 
a very "busy" man, as he is credited with having 
"run into 1 ' (killed) 3,760 foxes during his career 
in the saddle. 

A whipper-in should be a good horseman, ca- 
pable of riding light, with knowledge of how to 
save his mount in case it should be wanted by the 
master or huntsman. 

He is, in fact, an understudy for the hunts- 
man, and must have enough practical knowledge 
of the game to assume the huntsman's role upon 
short notice. 

He should implicitly obey orders of the master 
or huntsman, whether he thinks them right or 
wrong, and should never criticise any act of 
either, and while he should refrain from offering 



192 Horse and Hound. 

information he should always have a civil answer 
for any member of the field. 

He should be sparing of his lash, never hit a 
hound unnecessarily or in temper, and yet be con- 
stantly on the alert for breaches of discipline upon 
the part of the hounds. It is also his duty to see 
there is no straggling, that no hounds are left 
afield after the hunt, and that the field do not 
ride over or encroach upon the hounds at work 
or on the road. 

In the South a whip (not whipper-in) is sel- 
dom seen in the field upon hunting days. I have 
been master of the Iroquois Hunt for twenty years 
and master of the National Hounds ten years, and 
in all of their hunts have never seen a whip used 
a single time to enforce obedience, the hounds be- 
ing controlled solely by the voice after having 
once been broken and trained. 

The earth stopper is practically an unknown 
quantity in hunting in America. In England he 
is generally an old gamekeeper, retired huntsman, 
or crippled whipper-in, whose duty is to visit the 
earths (dens) of foxes the night before a hunt, 
and while the foxes are abroad to stop up their 
entrances with bundles of boughs or twigs bound 
together, and cover lightly with sod and earth, 
thus preventing the occupant from going to earth 
(holing) during a run. After the chase they are 
unstopped. 



STEPHEN H. VELIE. 

M. F. H Kansas City Hunt Club 

Missouri. 



192 



HUNT CLUBS. 

In 1894 the National Fox-hunters' Associa- 
tion was organized, with Admiral Jas. E. Jouett 
as president. As its name indicates it is national 
in character, and its membership extends from 
the Atlantic to the Pacific Oceans. This organiza- 
tion has done much to foster and improve hounds 
and hunting, both by field trials and the estab- 
lishment of a stud book for registering pedigrees. 

The annual trials of this association have been 
very successful, both in point of entries and num- 
ber of hunters participating, at one meeting there 
being several hundred hunters in the field. 

The running rules and regulations used in 
conducting the field trials of hounds follow : 

The stakes and the order of their running 
shall be as follows : 

The Derby for hounds under eighteen months 
of age. The winner of first will be awarded a 
silver cup ; winner of second, a silver medal ; win- 
ner of third, a bronze medal; and winner of 
fourth, a diploma. 

The All-age Stake for all ages. — The winner 
of first will be awarded a silver cup; winner of 
13 *93 



194 Horse mid Hound. 

second, a silver medal ; winner of third, a bronze 
medal; winner of fourth, a diploma. 

The Champion Stake, eligible to hounds that 
have won first, second, or third prize at any field 
trials recognized by this association. — The win- 
ner of first will be awarded a silver cup, and the 
club to confer the title of Champion upon the 
winner. 

Rule i . — No nominations can be taken or en- 
tries made except by or through a subscriber who 
shall be a member of the Club, and thereby be- 
comes responsible for said entry. 

Rule 2. — The entrance money must in all 
cases accompany the nomination. No entry shall 
be valid until fee is paid in full. 

Rule 3. — The number of entries from any 
one kennel or pack shall be limited to four. The 
age of a dog shall be calculated up to and in- 
clusive of the first day of the hunt. 

Rule 4. (A) — Subscribers must file with the 
Secretary the names of hounds they intend start- 
ing on or before 12 o'clock M. of the day pre- 
ceding the trial. Every hound entered at any trial 
held under these rules must have been the bona 
fide property of the person making such entry 
ten days before closing the entries. The entries 
must clearly identify the dog by name, and if 
known, its date of birth, name of its sire and 
dam, and the name of its breeder ; should any of 
these particulars be unknown to the subscriber, 



Hunt Clubs. 195 

it must be so stated on the entry blank. Every 
hound entered must be registered or listed in 
the N. F. H. Association Stud Book. The pen- 
alty for non-registration or listing is disqualifi- 
cation and the forfeiture of entry fee and prizes 
won. Any subscriber taking an entry in a stake 
and not prefixing the word "names" to a hound 
which is not his own property, shall forfeit the 
hound's chance of the stake. He shall also de- 
liver in writing to the Secretary the name of the 
bona fide owner of the hound named by him. 

B (1) A hound to be eligible to registration 
must have a full pedigree for three generations, 
or in the absence of such pedigree must have been 
a first-prize winner at a foxhound field trial recog- 
nized by the National Fox-hunters' Association. 
If less than three generations only can be given, 
a hound can be "listed" in the Stud Book upon 
payment of 25 cents, and a certificate of same 
will be issued. Such listings will be published 
annually in the Stud Book. 

(2) No change in a hound's name shall be 
permitted after it has been published in the an- 
nual volume of the Stud Book. 

(3) A hound may be re-registered upon 
change of ownership, but a new number shall 
not be given. 

(4) The breed of a hound is the individual or 
partnership owning or leasing the dam at the 
time of her being bred. 



196 Horse and Hound. 

Rule 5. — If any subscriber should enter a 
hound by a different name from that in which it 
last run in public, without also adding the late 
name of the hound, said hound shall be disqual- 
ified. A castrated dog or spayed bitch shall be 
barred. Any such running shall forfeit any and 
all prizes won. 

Rule 6. — Objections or protests to any hound 
must be made in writing to the Directors and ac- 
companied by a deposit of $10, which shall be 
forfeited if the objection is not sustained by the 
Directors; should an objection be made which 
can not at the time be substantiated or disproved, 
the hound may be allowed to run under protest, 
the Club retaining his winnings until the objec- 
tion is either withdrawn or decided. Should he 
be disqualified, the others shall be placed the 
same as if he had not been in the stake. 

Rule 7. — The Directors may refuse any en- 
try they may think proper to exclude; and no 
person who has misconducted himself in any man- 
ner in connection with the N. F. H< A. shall be 
allowed to compete in any trials that may be 
held under the auspices of this Club. 

Rule 8. — No entry can be withdrawn with- 
out the consent of the Directors. Parties so of- 
fending may be debarred at future trials or pe- 
nalized, at the discretion of the Directors. 

Rule 9. — An owner, his handler, or his 
deputy, may hunt a hound, but it must be one 




GENERAL HENRY T. ALLEN 

M. F. H. Fort Riley Hunt Club 



196 



Hunt Clubs. 197 

or the other. When the owner has deputed an- 
other person to handle for him he must not in- 
terfere in any manner, nor will he be allowed 
to ride to hounds. 

Rule io.- — Riders to hounds shall be limited 
to the handlers with entries in that particular 
hunt, the judges, the M. F. H. flag steward, and 
members of the press who obtain such permission 
from the Directors. 

Rule 11. — The M. F. H. shall give the hand- 
lers any information they need as to direction to 
enable them to keep within reasonable distance of 
the hounds. He shall instruct handlers and out- 
siders not to converse with, or in the hearing of 
the judges, about the work done or merits or de- 
merits of any of the competing hounds. It shall 
be his duty to report any and all infringements of 
this rule to the Directors. The offender shall be 
subject to a fine or expulsion from the grounds, 
at the discretion of the Directors. He shall ride 
to the hounds, and shall direct the handlers and 
assist the Judges in every proper way possible. 
It shall be his duty to notify, by conspicuously 
posting in camp the night before, the hour and 
place of starting on the following day. He shall 
also call the hunt off. He shall carefully examine 
all hounds entered, and if any are affected with 
contagious diseases, or any bitches in season, he 
shall promptly report same in writing to the Di- 
rectors, who shall officially notify owners of nom- 



198 Horse and Hound. 

inators and bar same from the trial. He shall 
designate by what markings, device, or colors 
each entry shall be marked to aid the Judges in 
distinguishing them, and no dog shall be marked 
otherwise than as he directs. He shall furnish 
the Judges each day with a list of the dogs run- 
ning, their name, owner, and distinctive markings. 

Rule 12. — The Field Stewards, where prac- 
ticable, should be sworn in as deputy sheriffs. 
They shall be held responsible for the proper con- 
duct and behavior of spectators and participants, 
and will see that spectators are kept at a proper 
distance from and do not interfere with the 
hounds participating. They shall also see that 
there is no destruction of property. They shall 
report to the Directors or M. F. H. throughout 
the day for instructions. 

Rule 13. — The Flag Steward shall, if possi- 
ble, keep both hounds and spectators in view, and 
by a series of flag signals notify the Field Stew- 
ards of the general direction of the hounds. He 
shall act as assistant to M. F. H. in directing and 
calling off the handlers. 

Rule 14. — There shall not be less than three 
or more than five Judges, who shall be elected 
by the Directors of the Club. They must not be 
interested, directly or indirectly, in any of the 
hounds, and must be hunters of large fox-hunting 
experience, and capable of closely following the 
hounds. They shall be subject to the general 



Hunt Clubs. 199 

rules of the Club and report for duty each day 
to the Directors. They shall have the fullest dis- 
cretion, consistent with the rules, in determining 
the merits of the hounds, and in the field shall 
have the ordering off of the hunt. Should an 
appointed Judge be unable to fulfill his engage- 
ment or become disabled, the Directors shall have 
the power to fill the vacancy, or not, in such man- 
ner as they see fit. 

Rule 15. — Judges are requested to select a 
reserve award, in case one of the winners should 
be disqualified, that the prize may not 'fail of be- 
ing awarded. The Judges shall continue the run- 
ning during the day, and from day to day, until 
a majority of them are satisfied. 

Rule 16. — Their final decision shall be ren- 
dered in writing to the Directors; they can not 
recall or reverse them on any pretext whatever 
after being so given. If any person openly im- 
pugns the decision or actions of a Judge on the 
grounds or in the camp, he may be fined, in the 
discretion of the Directors, not more than $25 or 
less than $5. 

Rule: 17. — No person shall attempt to in- 
fluence a Judge's decision, either before, during, 
or after a race. If a party so offending is a mem- 
ber, he shall be expelled from the Club ; if other- 
wise, he shall be fined and sent from the meeting. 

Rule 18. — The handler hunting a dog may 
speak to and urge him on in a proper manner, 



200 Horse and Hound. 

but he shall be cautioned twice by the Judges or 
M. F. H. for making unnecessary noise or dis- 
orderly conduct, and if after such a caution he 
continues to so offend, he may be ordered from 
the field. Should a handler ride over or pur- 
posely interfere with an opponent's hound, the 
owner of the hound so ridden over or interfered 
with shall have the privilege of saying which one 
of the offender's entries shall be barred, or shall 
have the option of selecting at the end of that 
particular hunt one of the offender's hounds, 
which will remain in the stake, and he shall be 
entitled to claim one-half of said hound's win- 
nings, if any. 

Rule 19. — A hound that fails by action or 
note to work fairly on a trail, and runs "cunning" 
to get an advantage, shall be discounted, in the 
discretion of the Judges. 

Rule 20. — A hound left on a "jump" or 
thrown out "on a loss taken off," shall not be 
penalized if it works diligently to "get in" and 
succeeds in a reasonable time. 

Rule 21. — A hound "thrown out" and "com- 
ing in" and refusing to hunt or "go in" to others 
in full cry, shall be marked and barred. 

Rule 22. — Should the pack become separated 
the Judges must divide and carefully note the 
work of each pack, and immediately upon re- 
assembling individually report work noted. 

Rule 23. — A hound lost during a run and 



Hunt Clubs. 20 1 

not returning until the trials are partly or wholly 
finished, shall be given credit, provided the Judges 
are satisfied that he has been running ; testimony 
of interested parties not to be taken on this point. 

Rule: 24. — Any person allowing a hound to 
get loose and join in the chase, shall be fined not 
less than $5. If the loose hound belongs to an 
owner of one engaged in that particular chase, 
such owner shall be fined in the discretion of the 
Directors, unless he can prove to the satisfaction 
of the Directors that he had not been able to 
take up his hound after finishing his last chase. 
The fact, however, of other hounds joining in 
shall not necessarily end the chase. 

RuivE 25. — No hounds shall be eligible to 
compete in trials that have been hunted or kept 
within a radius of fifteen miles of the meet within 
three months preceding the trials. 

Rule 26. — The entries in a stake shall be 
numbered and divided into packs, in the discre- 
tion of the Directors ; said division shall be made 
by drawing lots under supervision of the Judges. 
When possible, a kennel or owner should not 
have more than one hound in each pack. After 
the first round the Judges will order such hounds 
as they elect to run in the following rounds. In 
the general average, the Judges shall make their 
decision upon the uniform principle that the 
hound showing the most aptitude and ability to 
find, trail, and catch a fox is the winner. The 



202 Horse and Hound. 

principle is to be carried out by estimating the 
work done upon the following scale of points : 

Hunting 20 

Trailing 20 

Speed 20 

Endurance 20 

Giving tongue 10 

Judgment and intelligence 10 



100 



The Brunswick Hunt Club was organized in 
1889; holds annual field trials at Barre, Mass., 
and is composed of some of the best known fox- 
hunters and business men of the New England 
States. 

This organization has done much for the im- 
provement of the hound and hunting in New 
England. There are quite a number of Hunt 
Clubs in the South that hold field trials, making 
regular awards for the best hounds in the differ- 
ent classes. 

The only hound pack trials ever held in this 
country were at Westbury, Long Island, in the 
fall of 1902. The five packs competing for the 
$1,000 prize were: Green Spring Valley Hunt, 
Redmond C. Stewart, M. F. H. ; Meadowbrook 
Pack, John Leeper, Acting M. F. H. ; Aiken 
Pack, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., M. F. H.; two 
packs from Hickory Valley Hunt, J. M. Avent, 



A. HENRY HIGGINSON. 

M. F. H. Middlesex Hunt Club. 



20:> 



Hunt Clubs. 203 

M. F. H. Two packs were hunted at a time, one 
wearing red collars, with seven and one-half 
couples in each pack. After five days' hunting 
and work the judges decided that the Green 
Spring Valley and Aiken packs were so evenly 
matched in speed, endurance, driving, and pack 
work that they could not render a decision, and 
accordingly divided the $1,000 purse between 
them equally. 

The Meadowbrook Hunt Club is probably the 
best known of the Eastern Clubs. It was organ- 
ized in 1 88 1, and its membership has steadily in- 
creased until now it numbers about 125. The 
fifty couples of hounds are divided into three 
packs, English, American, and Drag hounds. The 
foxhounds are hunted in the morning and the 
drag hounds in the afternoon. The favorite 
meets are at Jericho, Wheatly, Westbury, Pip- 
ing Rock, Lyosset, and Guinea. The season 
opens September 1st, and lasts until stopped by 
unseasonable weather, and in the spring from 
March 1st to April 15th. Wild red foxes are 
hunted with two or three drags hunts each week. 
Nassua, Queen's, and Suffolk Counties, Long 
Island, are hunted, the country being rolling, and 
the fencing, mostly timber, is not to stiff to be 
ridden straight. The present Master, Mr. Peter 
F. Collier, Mr. Foxhall Keene's successor, can 
be relied upon to furnish high-class sport. The 
average attendance is about fifty, seventy-five be- 



204 Horse and Hound. 

ing a gala field, ten per cent of whom are ladies. 
Many high-type American hunters are ridden, a 
majority of them capable of going the line. Eng- 
lish and Irish hunters have been tried, and though 
game, good weight carriers, and speedy, do not 
take to the country as well as the native bred 
hunters. This is largely owing to the different 
style of obstacles encountered, the jumps here in- 
clining more to height than breadth. High jump- 
ing being one of the first requisites in a Meadow- 
brook hunter. 

The Aiken Hounds, Thomas Hitchcock, Jr., 
Master, is a private pack composed of thirty 
couples of Southern American hounds, selected 
more for their individual worth than for their 
bench show qualities. This is attested by the fact 
that they killed twenty-four foxes in 1902, and 
thirty-three in 1904. Mr. Hitchcock hunts near 
Aiken, S. C, in a timbered country, three days 
a week, from November 1st to April 1st. That 
he has confidence in his hounds, and it is not mis- 
placed, is proven by their winnings at the annual 
foxhound field trials. 

The Lima Hunt Club, organized in 1885, 
composed of seventy-five members, hunts in Dela- 
ware County, Pa. Their pack of twenty couples 
of American hounds (subscription) is hunted, 
three fixtures and three byes a week, from No- 
vember to April 15th. Chas. A. Dohan, the Mas- 
ter, hunts wild foxes over a hilly, rolling coun- 



JOHN R. VALENTINE. 

M. F. H. Radnor Hunt Club, 
Pennsylvania 



204 



Hunt Clubs. 205 

try, with timber fenced fields, small enough to 
check the rush of a big field of hunters. The 
Club has fifteen lady members, with an average 
of five in the saddle, being twenty-five per cent 
of the total. The annual race meet of this club, 
held at Wilmington, Del, consists of mile races on 
the flat, and two and a half mile steeplechases 
across country. The events fill well and good 
sport is furnished the large fashionable crowds 
in attendance. Professionalism, so frequently in- 
festing similar meets, is conspicuous by its ab- 
sence. 

The Myopia Hunt Club, Boston, was founded 
in 1879, though it was not until 1881 they se- 
cured a regular pack which was brought from 
Montreal and hunted, with Mr. Hugh A. Allen 
as Master. While the club has a membership of 
over one hundred, the "fields" only average about 
twenty, a goodly percentage being ladies. When 
the conditions are considered, the small fields are 
not to be wondered at. The hunting is in Essex 
County, about an hour's train ride from Boston. 
It is, therefore, necessary for the horses and 
hounds to "lay out" over night preceding the 
"meets." In addition to the small inclosures and 
the natural rockiness of the country, there are 
many salt marshes, while directly through the 
center of the hunting ground is a river hedged 
by an extensive swamp, adjoining an almost im- 
penetrable scrub woodland. To add to the mis- 



206 Horse and Hound. 

eries of the enthusiastic hunters, there is scarcely 
a field that is not wired or fenced with stone 
walls. The hounds are English, of the large type. 
The horses are highly bred, many of them being 
thoroughbreds. Three meets a week are held, 
from September ist until frost; no spring hunt- 
ing being indulged in. Mr. George S. Mandell, 
of Boston, has been the Master since 1901. 

Another well-known club is in Fauquier 
County, Va., the Warrenton Hunt, which has 
been in existence since 1889. ^ r - J onn D. Hooe 
is the President, and Mr. U. D. Benner is the 
Master. The hunting season is an unusually long 
one of forty meets, and the twelve couples of 
American hounds are given a lot of work after 
the drag. The attendance averages twenty-five, 
a goodly percentage of whom are ladies. 

The Blue Ridge Hunt, of Virginia, with 
twenty odd members and ten couples of hounds, 
hunt in Clark County, a rolling, open country, 
with a great variety of fencing including stone 
walls. The Master, Mr. Edward Gay Butler, al- 
ternates the pack upon drag and wild foxes twice 
a week, with fifty per cent of the members in the 
saddle. 

The London Hunt Club (Canada), organized 
in 1885, has a membership of 145, with sixteen 
couples of good English hounds. For the first 
ten years of its existence, wild foxes were hunted, 
but since then the wily anise-seed bag has been 




HENRY G. VAUGHAN. 

M. F. H. Norfolk Hunt Club. 

Massachusetts. 



206 



Hunt Clubs. 207 

assiduously chased twice weekly during the 
months of September, October, and November. 
Mr. Adam Beck, the present Master, is consid- 
ered one of the best the club has ever had, and 
furnishes the members, who average about twenty 
at each meet, with as much sport as can be had 
under the existing conditions. 

The Middlesex Hunt Club, of Massachusetts, 
with a membership of about fifty, musters an 
average attendance of fifteen in the saddle, in- 
cluding three or four ladies. It was founded in 
1899, and for the first year or two had only six 
or eight couples of hounds; of late years, how- 
ever, great pains have been taken in getting to- 
gether as good a pack of English hounds as pos- 
sible. Forty odd couples have been imported 
from the Essex Union and the Southdown Hunts 
in England, and they will be considerably 
strengthened during the present season by im- 
ports from the Belvoir, the Fitzwilliam, and the 
Duke of Beaufort's kennels. Mr. A. Henry Hig- 
ginson has been Master since the organization, 
sharing the honors in 1900 with Mr. Howard 
Snelling, and in 1904 with Mr. Julian Chamber- 
lain. Robert Cotesworth, late huntsman to the 
Earl of Bathurst, is the present huntsman, and 
under his able management the pack will show 
material improvement over past form. Consider- 
ing the class of country, many good runs and 
the occasional killing of a fox are had, the latter 



208 Horse and Hound, 

being exceptional in this State. The country 
hunted lies in a radius of twenty-one miles of 
Lincoln, and varies from rough pasture to good 
grass fields with the typical New England stone 
walls varying from three feet to four and a half. 
The hounds are the property of the Master, Mr. 
Higginson, who hunts them himself, and are con- 
sidered fast. 

The Genesee Valley Hunt Club is the oldest 
hunt club in the United States, having been or- 
ganized as early as 1876. Major W. A. Wads- 
worth, a prince of sportsmen, is the President 
and Master, and the pack, known as the Major 
Wadsworth Hounds, is composed largely of the 
American-English cross-bred hounds, containing 
at present but fourteen couples, being about one- 
half the usual number. The hunting is in the 
Genesee Valley, mostly in Livingstone County, 
and is an ideal fox-hunting country. During the 
months of October and November wild red foxes 
are run, and the average attendance for three 
days in the week is about fifty. The fencing is 
rail and board, not too stiff to be ridden straight, 
at least by the members who have the reputation 
of being hard, straight riders. The hunters are 
mostly three-quarter and full thoroughbreds, 
many of them being bred in Canada. It has al- 
ways been a fox-hunting community, the hard 
riders and superior jumping hunters being the 
result of the genuine, high-class sport given them 




i 




THOMAS HITCHCOCK, JR. 

M. F. H. Hitchcock Hounds. 

South Carolina. 



208 



Hunt Clubs. 209 

by Mr. Austin Wadsworth, who has been the 
Master twenty-odd years. 

The Westchester Club (Chester County Pa.), 
while a young one, having been organized in 
1902, is a flourishing one, with twenty couples of 
American hounds. Colonel A. M. Holding is 
President, Carrol Jacobs, Secretary, and J. C. 
Murtagh, Chas. F. Oat, P. S. Darlington, W. H. 
Cochran, and Herbert Carter are the Board of 
Governors. The Master, Mr. Jno. J. Gheen, has 
the hounds afield every day, weather permitting, 
between December 1st and April 1st. It has a 
membership of fifty-five, with an average attend- 
ance of from ten to twenty, including two ladies. 
Red foxes are plentiful ; the country is open and 
rolling, with post, rail, and worm fences, and no 
finer country for fox-hunting could be desired, 
the runs frequently being from three to six hours. 

In point of membership, the Green Spring 
Valley Hunt Club, of Maryland, organized in 
1892, is second only to the Deep Run and Elk- 
ridge Hunt Clubs, in active membership, hav- 
ing 200 members. Mr. Redmond C. Stew- 
art is not an idle Master, and hunts the 
thirty couples of American hounds every 
other day, weather permitting, from Octo- 
ber 1 st to March 20th. The country hunted is 
the northwest section of Baltimore County, which 
is a farming community with an occasional strip 
of heavy woods, the stiff timber fences and many 



210 Horse and Hound. 

ditches making interesting hunting for the half 
dozen ladies and score and a half men riders who 
turn out on hunting days. High-class hunters, 
with the necessary cross-country qualities, are 
ridden by the members. 

The Deep Run Hunt Club, of Richmond, Va., 
while having a very large membership (225), 
probably the largest active in this country, sends 
but a small percentage to the field, the average at- 
tendance in the saddle not exceeding fifteen, a 
third of which are ladies. This is doubtless ac- 
counted for by the fact that wild foxes are not to 
be had, having to content themselves with the 
drag and captive foxes. Were they as energetic 
as the members of the Myopia Club, most ex- 
cellent running could be had by going half the 
distance. Mr. C. C. Pinckney is President, and 
Mr. H. C. Beattie the Master, who hunts eight 
couples of American hounds twice a week. Some 
fine hunters of thoroughbred strain are owned 
by the different members. 

The Onwentsia Hunt Club, of Chicago, is one 
of the few Western Clubs which is forced to use 
drag hounds. The pack is about evenly divided 
between English and American hounds. Its pres- 
ent membership is fifty, one-half of whom ride 
three times a week from September to April. Mr. 
W. Vernon Booth is the Master. 

Organized in 1895 and incorporated in 1901, 
the Norfolk Hunt Club, of Medfield, Mass., has 



Hunt Clubs. 2 1 1 

eighty-five members, Francis Peabody, Jr., being 
President. The Board of Governors is composed 
of the President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Mas- 
ter, and three Stewards. Mr. Henry G. Vaughn, 
the Master, hunts the twenty-five couples of 
American and English hounds. The drag hunt- 
ing in Norfolk and adjoining counties is done 
entirely with the English hounds from the be- 
ginning of the season in September until after 
Thanksgiving, when the ground becomes frozen, 
the meets are changed to Cape Cod and wild foxes 
are hunted with the American hounds until late 
in December, over a good, smooth country with 
the usual New England stone walls. Owing to 
the muddy and sandy soil, the going is heavy. 
The proportion of men and women is about six 
to one. 

The Cameron Hunt Club, with seventy-five 
members, thirteen couples of English hounds, es- 
tablished in 1897, hold drag meets twice a week 
and holidays. Mr. Robert E. Lee, Jr., is Presi- 
dent, and Mr. Courtland H. Smith is Master. 
The country hunted is Alexandria and Fairfax 
Counties, Va., a good negotiable country for 
cross-country riding. 

The Chester Valley Club (Pennsylvania), R. 
Penn Smith, Master, organized in 1897, has 
twenty couples of American hounds (subscrip- 
tion) which are hunted from November 226. to 
March 17th. The country is open, an abundance 



212 Horse and Hound. 

of red foxes abound, requiring no artificial stock- 
ing, and good runs, with an occasional kill, are 
had. Out of a membership of sixty-two, one- 
half can generally be counted upon for an aver- 
age of twice a week. 

Mr. Harry W. Smith, Master of both the 
Grafton Hunt and the Smith Hounds, of fifteen 
couples each, hunts the country about Worcester, 
Mass. The former is a subscription pack of 
American hounds, and the latter the same num- 
ber of Southern hounds. Mr. Smith has a stable 
of good hunters, Rudolph being the star per- 
former. Mr. Smith's hounds are frequently seen 
upon the bench and entered at the hound trials. 

The Elkridge Hunt Club is not only one of 
the largest, but one of the oldest clubs. It was 
organized in 1878, and at present has a member- 
ship of 250. Mr. E. A. Jackson, the Master, is 
also President of the Club, member of several im- 
portant committees, and to his skill and unflag- 
ging interest much of its success is due. The pack 
consists of thirty-odd couples of American and 
half English-American hounds, and is accounted 
a good one both for drag and wild-fox hunting. 
The hunting season is autumn and spring, in 
Baltimore County, Md. It is a good hunting 
country, being rolling and fairly open. The fenc- 
ing is varied, comprising plank, post, and rail and 
snake, requiring a good class of sure-footed 
hunters. Wild foxes are plentiful, and excellent 




F. M. LOWRY. 

M. F. H. Pittsburg Hunt Club. 
Pennsylvania. 



212 



Hunt Clubs. 213 

runs are generally had, the country carrying good 
scent. About fifteen men and two or three ladies 
turn out at each meet. 

The Harkaway Hunt, organized in 1903, is a 
worthy successor to the Pittsburg Hunt, organ- 
ized in 1899. Mr. Frank M. Lowry is the Mas- 
ter, and Hon. Walter Lyon the President. The 
fourteen couples contain American, English, and 
Irish hounds. Semi-weekly hunts, alternating 
drag and wild foxes, are held from September 
to May 1st, in the vicinity of Donald, Pa. 

Mr. Edward Crozer, the Master of the Up- 
land Hunt Club, furnishes good sport to its sixty 
members, few of whom, however, avail them- 
selves of it, hunting eighteen couples of American 
hounds on native foxes, from October to March 
1 st. Delaware County (Pa.), the hunting 
ground, is rather hilly and stiff, in which post 
and rail fences abound. 

The hunting fever reached the Pacific Coast 
in 1900, at which time the Portland Hunt Club 
was organized. The drag pack of ten couples of 
American hounds are run under the Mastership 
of Mr. T. S. McRath. Fifty of the 125 members 
are generally in the saddle, and though the coun- 
try is brushy, the log and low rail fences make it 
an easy one for cross-country riding. Many 
ladies grace the occasion of each meet with their 
presence. 

The Orange County Hounds, owned and 



214 Horse and Hound. 

hunted by Mr. John R. Townsend and Mr. E. H. 
Hamman in Orange and Fauquier Counties, Va., 
afford most excellent sport to their many friends 
every other day throughout the season. The 
pack is a good one of twelve couples American 
and twenty-six couples English; the foxes are 
red with straightaway inclinations. The English 
hounds are used in the drag. 

The Chevy Chase Club, of Washington, D. C, 
organized in 1892, has a membership of 750. Mr. 
Clarence Moore has been the Master for the past 
seven years, and hunts twenty-two couples of 
English and twelve of American hounds in Mont- 
gomery County, Md., the country being a rolling, 
farming country and well adapted to the drag as 
well as fox hunts, which are held almost daily 
throughout a season, extending from November 
15th to April 15th. A larger percentage of ladies 
hunt in this club that in any other, at least one- 
fourth of the field being composed of ladies. The 
coverts are small and fences easy, showing op- 
portunities for good bursts of speed. 

The Essex Hunt. — Master, Charles Pfizer; 
Huntsman, Wm. Howard since 1890; Whipper- 
in, Kennelman, all professionals, being subject to 
changes. Hounds, imported English, thirty-five 
couples, a draft being imported annually to main- 
tain a good average. Location of Kennels, Glad- 
stone, N. J. Telegraph office and railroad station, 
Gladstone, N. J. Post-office, Gladstone, N. J. 



Hunt Clubs. 215 

Days of meeting, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and 
all holidays. Season, September 1st to December 
3 1 st, and, on the average, six weeks in the spring. 
Country, hill and dale, principally pasture and 
hay and wheat fields in Somerset and Morris 
Counties. History of Hunt, originally Essex 
County Hunt, organized 1877, at Orange, N. J., 
hunted in Essex and Union Counties until 1890, 
since then it is a private pack, with subscription 
privileges, located at Morristown, 1890- 1893, 
since then permanent. It is a post and rail coun- 
try, mainly drag hunting, the riders average 
twenty men ; very few ladies turn out, the country 
being too stiff and the coverts too thick and large 
to permit wild-fox hunting successfully, which 
sport is followed with varying success during the 
winter months, but it is not a regular fixture. 
Part of the pack is hunted annually at Southamp- 
ton, L. L, during September and October. 

The White Marsh Valley Hunt. — Master, 
Welsh Strawbridge. Officers: President, Edward 
D. Toland; Vice-President, William Disston; 
Secretary, Thomas Stokes ; Treasurer, Russell H. 
Johnson, Jr. ; Huntsman, Mr. J. Gerhard Leiper, 
Jr.; Whippers-in, Mr. Walter Stokes and Mr. 
Edw. N. Benson, Jr. ; Kennelman, James Mc- 
Cuen. Hounds, American foxhounds, mostly tri- 
color ; after much weeding out, have gathered to- 
gether a small pack of hounds that show good 
sport. Location of kennels, Erdenheim Stock 



2i6 Horse and Hound. 

Farm, White Marsh Valley, Montgomery 
County, above Chestnut Hill, Philadelphia. Tele- 
graph office and railroad station, Philadelphia 
R. R. and Reading R. R. Terminals, Chestnut 
Hill, Philadelphia. Post-office, Chestnut Hill, 
Philadelphia. Days of meeting, Saturdays and 
legal holidays, with a bye day, mostly Wednes- 
day, in the middle of the week. Season, from Oc- 
tober ist to March ist, or as much longer as the 
going permits. Country, White Marsh Valley 
mostly meadow land, post and rail fences. Out- 
side of the valley the country is rolling, fences 
generally well kept up, and farms prosperous. A 
good open country, very little rough going. Club 
organized in the fall of 1903 ; has a full member- 
ship list of one hundred riding members, also a 
list of about thirty-five subscribing members. 
The hounds for the last two seasons have been 
run as a drag pack. 

The Patapsco Hunt. — Master, Dorsey M. 
Williams (P. O. address, Ellicott City, Md.). 
Officers : President, Grosvenor Hanson ; Vice- 
President, Colonel Chas. F. Macklin; Secretary, 
Rowland C. West ( Cantonsville, Md.) ; Hunts- 
man, the Master hunts the hounds (the Master 
maintains a stable of about fifteen schooled hunt- 
ers, and always mounts guests of the hunt) ; 
Whippers-in, first, N. Roger Williams ; second, A. 
R. H. Ranson, Jr. ; Kennelman, Joseph Harman. 
Hounds, about twenty couples of American 




HARRY W. SMITH. 

M. F. H. Grafton Hunt Club. 
Massachusetts. 



216 



Hunt Clubs. 217 

hounds. Location of kennels, Howard County, 
Maryland, about two miles from Elk Ridge, on 
B. & O. R. R. Days of meeting, Wednesday and 
Saturday, with bye days, as the Master sees fit. 
Season, cub hunting begins about the first of Sep- 
tember. The regular season begins October 1st 
and closes April 1st. Country, all of Howard 
County and the portion of Anne Arundle County 
adjacent thereto. The present club was organ- 
ized in September, 1898, although fox-hunting 
has been pursued in Howard County since Colo- 
nial times. The Elkridge P. H. Club originated 
in this country. The present Master, Mr. Wil- 
liams, has carried the horn since the inception of 
the club. He is considered one of the best judges 
of the foxhound in America. Veterinary sur- 
geon, Dr. Adams, of Catonsville. Country is 
rolling, the fencing mostly snake and post and 
rail, with very little wire. Foxes are plentiful. 
Membership comprises most of the prominent 
farmers, and there is absolutely no opposition to 
the sport from that source. Hold a two-days' 
race meet at Pimlico every year on Labor Day 
and the Saturday previous. 

The Blue Ridge Hunt. — Master, Edward Gay 
Butler, Berryville, Va. Officers: Dr. Robert C. 
Randolph, President; Courtney B. Jones, Secre- 
tary; Edward G. Butler, Treasurer; Huntsman, 
Adam Hubbard; Whippers-in, George Page and 
Will Dearmont; Kennelman, Adam Hubbard. 



218 Horse and Hound. 

Hounds, thoroughbred American foxhounds, ten 
couples. Location of kennels, "Annefield," the 
home of the Master. Telegraph office and rail- 
road station, Berryville, Va. Post-office, Mill- 
wood, Clark County, Va. Days of hunting, 
Wednesdays and Saturdays and all legal holidays. 
Season, October ist to April 15th, inclusive. 
Country, Clarke County, Virginia, between the 
Shenandoah River and the Opequan River. Es- 
tablished in 1888, with American hounds, Dr. 
Gwynne Harrison as Master. Then English 
hounds, and after two seasons American hounds 
again. Veterinary surgeon, Dr. Cameron, Win- 
chester, Va. The country near the Shenandoah 
and Opequan Rivers abounds in red and gray 
foxes, but the great amount of barbed wire put 
up in the last few years has seriously affected the 
sport. 

The Brandywine Hounds. — Master, Charles 
E. Mather. Private pack. Huntsman, Percy Pic- 
ton; Whippers-in, Tom Parker, Delmont Broad- 
belt; Kennelman, Miles. Hounds, forty-two 
couples. Location of kennels, Brandywine 
Meadow Farm, West Chester, Pa. Days of meet- 
ing, every good hunting day from October ist 
to March 15th. Country, Chester and Delaware 
Counties, Pa. Hounds all bred on the farm from 
a draft obtained from the Belvoir Kennels, Eng- 
land, in 1902. Hounds all of thoroughbred blood. 
The pack work as one and are hunted only on the 



Hunt Clubs. 219 

wild red fox and are required to find and run 
the fox, unaided, to earth or to the death every 
time they go out. 

The following is a list of the most famous 
hunt clubs in America : 

Lima Hunt Club, Chas. A. Dohan, M. F. H., 
Lima, Pa. 

Norfolk Hunt Club, H. G. Vaughan, M. F. 
H., Chatham, Mass. 

Pittsburg Hunt Club, F. M. Lowry, M. F. 
H., Pittsburg, Pa. 

Morristown Hunt Club, Ben Nicall, M. F. H., 
Morristown, N. J. 

Upland Fox Hunt Club, Edw. Crozer, M. F. 
H., Chester, Pa. 

York City Hunt Club, Pennsylvania. 

Grafton County Club, Harry W. Smith, M. 
F. H., Worcester, Mass. 

Hamburg Hunt Club, W. R. Bunekely M. F. 
H., Hamburg, Ark. 

Suwanee Hunt Club, G. M. Taylor, M. F. H., 
White Sulphur Springs, Va. 

Blue Ridge Hunt Club, G. P. Harrison, M. 
F. H., Milwood, Va. 

Brandywine Hounds, Chas. E. Mathews, M. 
F. H., West Chester, Pa. 

Cameron Run Hunt Club, Cortland Smith 
M. F. H., Alexandria, Va. 

Chester Valley Hunt Club, R. Penn Smith, 
M. F. H., Berwyn, Pa. 



220 Horse and Hound. 

Green Spring Valley Hunt Club, Redmond 
C. Stewart, M. F. H., Baltimore, Md. 

Watching Hunt Club, Dr. M. O. Knott, M. 
F. H., Plainfield, N. J. 

Missouri Hunt Club, S. H. Velie, M. F. H., 
Kansas City, Mo. 

Berkshire Hunt Club, Clinton G. Gilmore, 
M. F. H., Lenox, Mass. 

London Hunt Club, David Stevenson, M. F. 
H., Leesburg, Va. 

White Marsh Valley Hunt, Welsh Straw- 
bridge, Philadelphia, Pa. 

National Fox-hunters' Association, National. 

Brunswick Fur Club, Maine. 

Keswick Hunt Club, H. E. Magruder, M. F. 
H., Virginia. 

South Shore Hunt Association, Massachu- 
setts. 

Interstate Fox-hunting Association, Missis- 
sippi and Tennessee. 

Strodes Valley Hunt Club, Kentucky. 

Buckfield Fur Club, Maine. 

Hamilton Hunt Club, Canada. 

Madison Hunt Club, Kentucky. 

Texas Fox-hunters' Association, Texas. 

La Salle County Hunt Club, Illinois. 

Booneville Hunt Club, Missouri. 

Elkton Hunt Club, Kentucky. 

London Hunt Club, Adam Beck, M. F. H., 
Canada. 



Hunt Clubs. 221 

Mississippi Hunt Association, Mississippi. 

Green Springs Valley Hunt Club, Maryland. 

Dixie Red Fox Club, Texas. 

Goochland County Hunt Club, Virginia. 

Deep Run Hunt Club, Virginia. 

Interstate Fox-hunt Club, Missouri and Illi- 
nois. 

Western Massachusetts Fox-hunt Club, Mas- 
sachusetts. 

Lone Star Fox-hunt Club, Texas. 

Iroquois Hunt Club, Colonel Roger Williams, 
M. F. H., Lexington, Ky. 

Elkridge Fox-hunt Club, E. A. Jackson, M. 
F. H., Baltimore, Md. 

Keswick Hunt Club, Julian Morris, M. F. H., 
Keswick, Va. 

Hilton Hunt Club, Geo. H. Miller, M. F. H., 
Philadelphia, Pa. 

Rockaway Hunt Club, Cedarhurst, L. I. 

Waiontha Hunt Club, Richfield Springs. 

Duchess Hunt Club, Millerbrook, N. Y. 

Overhand Hunt Club. 

Richmond County Hunt Club, Middletown, 
N. Y. 

Worcester Fur Club, Worcester, Mass. 

Geneseo Valley Hunt Club, W. A. Wads- 
worth, M. F. H., New York. 

Piedmont Hunt Club, W. C. Eustis, M. F. H., 
Upperville, Va. 

Ballston Hunt Club, New York. 



222 Horse and Hound. 

Myopia Hunt Club, G. S. Mandell, M. F. H., 
Wenham Depot, Mass. 

Monmouth Hunt Club, P. F. Collier, M. F. 
H., Eatontown, N. J. 

Rose Tree Hunt Club, Ed. Morrell, M. F. H., 
Media, Pa. 

Chevy Chase Hunt Club, Clarence Moore, 
M. F. H., Washington, D. C. 

Aiken Hunt Club, Thomas Hitchcock, M. F. 
H., Aiken, S. C. 

Charlottesville Hunt Club, Toll M. Cochran, 
Sec, Virginia. 

Middlesex Hunt Club, A. H. Higginson, M. 
F. H., So. Lincoln, Mass. 

Hitchcock Hounds, Thos. Hitchcock, Jr., M. 
F. H., Aiken, S. C. 

Patapsco Hunt Club, Dorsey M. Williams, 
M. F. H., Elk Ridge, Md. 

Pine Hill Hunt Club, Jas. D. Hall, M. F. H., 
Front Royal, Va. 

Radnor Hunt Club, Jno. R. Valentine, M. 
F. H., Bryn Mawr, Pa. 

Warrenton Hunt Club, U. D. Benner, M. F. 
H., Warrenton, Va. 

Westchester Hunt Club, Westchester, Pa. 

Westchester Hunt, L. Fitzgerald, Jr., M. F. 
H., Mamaroneck, N. Y. 

Portland Plunt Club, I. S. McRath, M. F. H., 
Portland, Ore. 

Lakewood Hunt Club, New York. 



Hunt Clubs. 223 

Providence Fox Club, L. S. Knox, M. F. H., 
Mecklenburg, N. C. 

Orange County Hunt Club, Jno. R. Town- 
send, M. F. H., Goshen, N. Y. 

Bayside Hunt Club, Clarence H. Robbins, 
M. F. H. Douglaston, L. I. 

Essex Hounds, Chas. Plizer, M. F. H., East 
Hampton. 

Meadowbrook Hunt Club, P. F. Collier, M. 
F. H, New York, N. Y. 

Onwentsia Hunt, W. Vernon Booth, M. F. 
H., Lake Forest, 111. 

Red Fox Association, Ripley, O. 



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